Uncooled MWIR and LWIR Imaging Using Non-Degenerate Two Photon Absorption with Custom InAlGaAs Detector Arrays

Princeton Infrared Technologies, Inc. (PIRT) will team with University of California Irvine (UCI) to develop a room temperature imaging system with detectivity from 3 to 12 μm spanning mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and longwave infrared (LWIR) spectral ranges using non-degenerate two-photon absorption (NTA) for standoff imaging spectroscopy and ranging.  This novel detection strategy captures MWIR/LWIR images at high pixel densities, high sensitivity, and low noise without cooling.  Currently, MWIR and LWIR imaging requires expensive low-bandgap semi-conducting materials, such as HgCdTe and InSb.  Cooled cameras that are commonly used to cover the entire 3 to 12 μm spectrum have low pixel densities such as 128x128, precluding the use of high-definition (HD) sampling for acquiring high quality videos in use for applications such as microscopy and hyperspectral imaging.  In this program, the team will deliver a 1280x1024 resolution camera using a custom InxAl1 x yGayAs array integrated with optics and high speed lasers that operate at room temperature to image light from 3 to 12 μm at video rates suitable for hyperspectral imaging of hot objects without the challenge of imaging through emissions.  The imaging system will also allow for depth measurements with a resolution of <20 µm.