Abstract
Wavelength- or polarization-selective thermal infrared (IR) detectors are promising for various novel applications such as fire detection, gas analysis, multi-color imaging, multi-channel detectors, recognition of artificial objects in a natural environment, and facial recognition. However, these functions require additional filters or polarizers, which leads to high cost and technical difficulties related to integration of many different pixels in an array format. Plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (PMAs) can impart wavelength or polarization selectivity to conventional thermal IR detectors simply by controlling the surface geometry of the absorbers to produce surface plasmon resonances at designed wavelengths or polarizations. This enables integration of many different pixels in an array format without any filters or polarizers. We review our recent advances in wavelength- and polarization-selective thermal IR sensors using PMAs for multi-color or polarimetric imaging. The absorption mechanism defined by the surface structures is discussed for three types of PMAs—periodic crystals, metal-insulator-metal and mushroom-type PMAs—to demonstrate appropriate applications. Our wavelength- or polarization-selective uncooled IR sensors using various PMAs and multi-color image sensors are then described. Finally, high-performance mushroom-type PMAs are investigated. These advanced functional thermal IR detectors with wavelength or polarization selectivity will provide great benefits for a wide range of applications.
Highlights
Thermal infrared (IR) sensors are widely used for security, surveillance, search and rescue, firefighting, traffic systems, law enforcement, process control, and preventive maintenance [1,2,3].These IR detectors are roughly divided into two categories: thermal and quantum detectors.Thermal detectors are widely used due to their low cost and simple operation without cooling.Development is ongoing in industry in order to realize large-format [4], high-resolution [5] and low-cost applications [6]
We review our recent results on multi-color or polarimetric thermal IR detectors using plasmonic and metamaterial absorbers
We developed a SOI diode uncooled IR focal plane array (IRFPA) using through-hole (TH) MIM-Plasmonic metamaterial absorbers (PMAs)
Summary
Thermal infrared (IR) sensors are widely used for security, surveillance, search and rescue, firefighting, traffic systems, law enforcement, process control, and preventive maintenance [1,2,3]. Wavelength-selective thermal IR sensors can be used to identify objects through their spectral data, allowing for gas analysis, fire detection and eventually multi-color imaging [2]. Conventional technologies utilize the optical resonance structure between the absorber and the bottom reflector [15,16,17] or make use of filters and polarizers [18,19,20,21,22]. Advanced technologies realize novel functions for thermal IR sensors only by manipulating the surface geometry of the absorber, i.e., without attaching any filters and polarizers. Absorbers are discussed in order to realize advanced functions using plasmonics and metamaterials
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