Electronically Tunable Optical Bandpass Filter

For improving thermal imager performance in the presence of obscurants, Nanohmics, Inc., proposes to develop a compact, rugged, light-weight, electronically tunable bandpass filter based on microfabricated graphene-integrated metasurfaces, operating in the long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) spectral band, 7.5-12 m. With no moving parts, the proposed tunable bandpass filter is rugged and insensitive to vibration. It will be designed to be an order of magnitude smaller in thickness (3), and increased independence on polarization. The rapidly tunable metasurface comprises an array of nanoantennas, an approach that leverages standard materials and microfabrication techniques to reduce costs and provide a rapid route to commercialization. The tunable filter will be further developed for LWIR sensors to improve visibility in the presence of obscurants.