A University of Oklahoma research team has received a $236,000 applied research grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) to develop and commercialize IV-VI semiconductor mid-IR detectors for military and industrial applications. The prototype detectors were developed by a team led by electrical and computer engineering professor Zhisheng Shi under a previous OCAST grant from the Oklahoma Applied Research Support program. The device has outperformed all commercially available products and could gain significant market share, which could lead to the creation of local high-tech businesses and high-paying jobs. Further development of this technology could make the OU detector a competitive player in mid- and longwave imaging applications. Commercialization efforts include R&D on an automated process to improve stability, packaging, setup of production scale production line and marketing. The technology recently was selected to participate in the Oklahoma Proof of Concept Center, an innovative model for accelerating commercialization of promising Oklahoma technologies. For more information, visit: www.ou.edu