Thermal IR imager utilizing a thermal-to-visible transducer

We have been developing a novel thermal-to-visible transducer (TVT), an uncooled thermal-IR imager that is based on a Fabry-Perot Interferometer ( FPI). The FPI -based I R imager can convert a thermal-IR image to a video electronic image. IR radiation that is emitted by an object in the scene is imaged onto an IR-absorbing material that is located within an FPI. Temperature variations generated by the spatial variations in the IR image intensity cause variations in optical thickness, modulating th e reflectivity seen by a probe laser b earn. The reflected probe is imaged onto a visible array, producing a visible image of the IR scene. This technology can provide low cost I R cameras with excellent sensitivity, low power consumption, and the potential for self-registered fusion of thermal-IR and visible images. We describe development of high-reflectivity coatings deposited on both surfaces of the IR absorbing material.