Systems and methods for measuring a temperature using an optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator are disclosed. The system includes a WGM resonator operatively coupled to a tunable laser source and a detector, as well as a computing device. The computing device is configured to transform a transmission spectrum from the detector into a measured barcode that includes a matrix of values indicative of at least one characteristic of the transmission spectrum. The computing device is further configured to transform the measured barcode into a temperature based on a relative collective shift of the measured barcode from a reference barcode selected from a predetermined library of reference barcodes.

Systems and methods for measuring a temperature using an optical whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator are disclosed. The system includes a WGM resonator operatively coupled to a tunable laser source and a detector, as well as a computing device. The computing device is configured to transform a transmission spectrum from the detector into a measured barcode that includes a matrix of values indicative of at least one characteristic of the transmission spectrum. The computing device is further configured to transform the measured barcode into a temperature based on a relative collective shift of the measured barcode from a reference barcode selected from a predetermined library of reference barcodes.

Optical microcavity resonance measurements can have readout noise matching the fundamental limit set by thermal fluctuations in the cavity. Small-heat-capacity, wavelength-scale microcavities can be used as bolometers that bypass the limitations of other bolometer technologies. The microcavities can be implemented as photonic crystal cavities or micro-disks that are thermally coupled to strong mid-IR or LWIR absorbers, such as pyrolytic carbon columns. Each microcavity and the associated absorber(s) rest on hollow pillars that extend from a substrate and thermally isolate the cavity and the absorber(s) from the rest of the bolometer. This ensures that thermal transfer to the absorbers is predominantly from radiation as opposed to from conduction. As the absorbers absorb thermal radiation, they shift the resonance wavelength of the cavity. The cavity transduces this thermal change into an optical signal by reflecting or scattering more (or less) near-infrared (NIR) probe light as a function of the resonance wavelength shift.

In accordance with heat received from a target object, a visible light absorption element 10 changes a frequency component of visible light to reflect or transmit. The visible light absorption element 10 possesses a resonance frequency included in a visible light frequency region. The visible light absorption element 10 absorbs visible light of the resonance frequency. The visible light absorption element 10 thermally deforms due to temperature change to thereby change the resonance frequency, and absorbs visible light of the changed resonance frequency.

Passive detector structures for imaging systems are provided which implement unpowered, passive front-end detector structures with direct-to-digital measurement data output for detecting incident photonic radiation in various portions (e.g., thermal (IR), near IR, UV and visible light) of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Passive detector structures for imaging systems are provided which implement unpowered, passive front-end detector structures with direct-to-digital measurement data output for detecting incident photonic radiation in various portions (e.g., thermal (IR), near IR, UV and visible light) of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Spherical detector array devices are provided, which are implemented using passive detector structures for thermal imaging applications. Passive detector structures are configured with unpowered, passive front-end detector structures with direct-to-digital measurement data output for detecting incident photonic radiation in the thermal IR portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Spherical detector array devices are provided, which are implemented using passive detector structures for thermal imaging applications. Passive detector structures are configured with unpowered, passive front-end detector structures with direct-to-digital measurement data output for detecting incident photonic radiation in the thermal IR portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A thermometer includes a substrate; an optical resonator disposed on the substrate and including an optical resonance, the optical resonator being configured to receive a resonant frequency corresponding to the optical resonance; and a waveguide disposed on the substrate proximate to the optical resonator to receive input light, to communicate the resonant frequency to the optical resonator, and to transmit output light; wherein an aperture is interposed between: the substrate and the optical resonator, the substrate and the waveguide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and the thermometer is configured to change the optical resonance in response to a change in temperature of the optical resonator.

An infrared (IR) detector comprises a radio frequency (RF) resonator including a bottom electrode to provide acoustic excitation, a piezoelectric layer connected to the bottom electrode and suspended over a cavity defined within a semiconductor substrate, and a top layer comprising a mid-IR metamaterial and which is connected to the piezoelectric layer of the RF resonator. The top layer and the piezoelectric layer are sized to impedance match with a particular IR wavelength, to minimize reflection and maximize absorption of a particular IR wavelength, and thus make the top layer polarization sensitive to the particular IR wavelength.