A semiconductor detector (100) has a tunable spectral response. These detectors (100) may be used with processing techniques that permit the creation of "synthetic" sensors that have spectral responses that are beyond the spectral responses attainable by the underlying detectors (100). For example, the processing techniques may permit continuous and independent tuning of both the center wavelength and the spectral resolution of the synthesized spectral response. Other processing techniques can also generate responses that are matched to specific target signatures.
