1 research outputs found
Room temperature mid-IR single photon spectral imaging
Spectral imaging and detection of mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelengths are
emerging as an enabling technology of great technical and scientific interest;
primarily because important chemical compounds display unique and strong mid-IR
spectral fingerprints revealing valuable chemical information. While modern
Quantum cascade lasers have evolved as ideal coherent mid-IR excitation
sources, simple, low noise, room temperature detectors and imaging systems
still lag behind. We address this need presenting a novel, field-deployable,
upconversion system for sensitive, 2-D, mid-IR spectral imaging. Measured room
temperature dark noise is 0.2 photons/spatial element/second, which is a
billion times below the dark noise level of cryogenically cooled InSb cameras.
Single photon imaging and up to 200 x 100 spatial elements resolution is
obtained reaching record high continuous wave quantum efficiency of about 20 %
for polarized incoherent light at 3 \mum. The proposed method is relevant for
existing and new mid-IR applications like gas analysis and medical diagnostics