Embodiments of the present invention relate to an optical detector system capable of detecting in the infrared and terahertz regions of the electromagnetic spectrum with increased sensitivity and simplicity. It includes microbolometers in an array, a waveguide for receiving readout light input from an optical light source, waveguide splitters for splitting the waveguide to output waveguides such that each microbolometer in the array is optically coupled to an output waveguide. The output waveguide is coupled to an optical resonator of the microbolometer at a resonance frequency to generate a readout light output having a characteristic based on a change in a characteristic of the optical resonator. The system further includes a detector for receiving the readout light output from each of the output waveguides to convert the readout light output to an electrical signal.

One object of the present invention is to provide a bolometer having low resistance.

The present invention relates to a bolometer including two electrodes and a bolometer film lying between the two electrodes to connect the two electrodes, wherein the bolometer film includes semiconducting carbon nanotubes in a proportion of 90% by mass or more to the total amount of carbon nanotubes and includes p-type semiconducting carbon nanotubes, and one or both of the two electrodes include(s) a monometal or alloy having lower work function than the p-type semiconducting carbon nanotubes at least in a part of the electrode.

Disclosed is a bolometer type infrared detector comprising: a substrate, a bolometer film comprising semiconducting carbon nanotubes, and two electrodes spaced from each other and connected to the bolometer film, wherein at least one of the two electrodes is formed of a metal alloy comprising at least two metals selected from the group consisting of Li, Be, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Sb, Ba, La, Hf, Ta, Ir, Pt, Au, and Bi.

An infrared sensor includes an assembly of pixels juxtaposed in rows and in columns, each pixel integrating an imaging microbolometer and an integrator assembly. The integrator assembly includes a transistor assembled as an amplifier, and a capacitor assembled in feedback on the transistor between an output node and an integration node. The integration node is connected to a skimming transistor operating as a current mirror with a skimming control transistor offset outside of the pixel. A skimming current flowing through the skimming control transistor is controlled according to the temperature of at least one thermalized microbolometer. The current mirror assembly enables to transmit the skimming current flowing through said skimming control transistor onto the integration node so that the capacitor integrates the difference between a current flowing through the imaging microbolometer and the skimming current.

A bolometric imaging system is disclosed which includes an array of nano-pixels, each including an optical stack, each including an absorptive layer where incident radiation is converted to heat which simultaneously acts as a first electrode layer vertically disposed adjacent the Free Layer, a fixed magnetic polarity layer (Fixed Layer) in a first magnetic direction, a barrier layer vertically disposed adjacent to the Fixed Layer, a selective magnetic polarity layer (Free Layer) vertically disposed adjacent to the barrier layer, a second electrode layer vertically disposed adjacent the Fixed Layer. Photons absorbed by the optical stack are converted into heat to thereby switch magnetic polarity in the Free Layer. The switch in polarity does not require the stack to be reset to a neutral state prior to such switching. Each nano-pixel output is a digital signal generated by photons above a pre-determined energy threshold. The system further includes a readout circuit.

A thermistor element includes: a thermistor film; a pair of first electrodes in contact with one surface of the thermistor film; an insulation film opposite to a contact side of the pair of first electrodes, the contact side on which the pair of first electrodes is in contact with the thermistor film; and at least one opening portion located in a region which overlaps each of the first electrodes when viewed in a plan view and passing through the insulation film. Each first electrode has a first portion located where each of the first electrodes and the opening portion overlap when viewed in a plan view and a second portion outside of where each of the first electrodes and the opening portion overlap when viewed in a plan view and is over the first portion and second portion to be in contact with the one surface of the thermistor film.

The invention relates to a thermal detector (1) for detecting electromagnetic radiation, comprising: a readout substrate (10); a membrane (20) suspended above the readout substrate, comprising: a thermometric transducer (23), and a resistive load (25) that is formed from a track that extends longitudinally to form a closed continuous loop; a collecting antenna (16), which is located away from the suspended membrane (20) and coupled to the resistive load (25), and which comprises a coupling track (16.1), which track is located plumb with the resistive load (25) and extends longitudinally to form an open continuous loop, thus permitting inductive coupling between the coupling track (16.1) and the resistive load (25).

A multi-zone monitoring system is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of sensor modules configured to monitor conditions in a plurality of detection zones. The sensor modules include a combination of detection devices configured to detect different conditions based on a designated zone of each sensor module. The system further includes a reporting device in communication with each of the sensor modules. The reporting device is configured to report the status of each of the detection zones based on indications communicated via the detection devices in the corresponding detection zone.

A thermal image sensing system including at least one thermal sensor, at least one light sensor, an image identification module, a storage module and a computing module is provided. The thermal sensor senses thermal radiation emitted by an object and generates a thermal radiation image signal correspondingly. The light sensor senses visible light reflected by the object and generates at least one visible light image signal correspondingly. The image identification module receives the visible light image signal generated by the light sensor and determines a material of the object according to the at least one visible light image signal. The storage module stores a radiation coefficient of the material of the object. The computing module calculates a surface temperature of the object according to the radiation coefficient of the material of the object and the thermal radiation emitted by the object. A thermal image sensing method is also provided.

A thermal pixel configured as an electromagnetic emitter and/or an electromagnetic detector. The thermal pixel comprises a micro-platform suspended with semiconductor nanowires from a surrounding support platform. The nanowires comprise phononic structure providing a decrease in thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the pixel is structured for operation within a broad bandwidth or a limited bandwidth. Metamaterial and/or photonic crystal filters provide pixel operation over a limited bandwidth. In some other embodiments, the micro-platform comprises a nanotube structure providing a broadband emission/absorption spectral response.