Broadband long-range thermal imaging via meta-correctors

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Vo, Cameron, Anderson, Owen, Wirth-Singh, Anna, Johnson, Rose, Majumdar, Arka, Coppens, Zachary
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2024
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author Vo, Cameron
Anderson, Owen
Wirth-Singh, Anna
Johnson, Rose
Majumdar, Arka
Coppens, Zachary
author_facet Vo, Cameron
Anderson, Owen
Wirth-Singh, Anna
Johnson, Rose
Majumdar, Arka
Coppens, Zachary
contents Long-range imaging in the thermal infrared band is critical for applications such as environmental monitoring, industrial inspections, and surveillance. To achieve high quality imaging, these systems typically require large apertures and many elements with complex shapes to correct aberrations, adding significant weight and cost. Large-area metasurface optics offer a promising solution for weight reduction; however, their substantial chromatic aberrations limit their effectiveness in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) band where broadband imaging is typically desired. In this work, we introduce a hybrid system comprising four refractive lenses and two all-silicon metasurface correctors (meta-correctors) to achieve high-quality, broadband thermal imaging at long range. Compared to a refractive-only assembly, our system demonstrates a three-fold contrast enhancement at the detector's half-Nyquist frequency. Testing outside the laboratory reveals noticeably sharper images, with human features clearly recognizable at distances of 250 meters. The assembly utilizes off-the-shelf refractive elements and avoids the use of germanium, which poses a supply chain risk. Our findings highlight the potential of hybrid meta-corrector systems to enable long-range, lightweight, and cost-effective LWIR imaging solutions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_17072
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Broadband long-range thermal imaging via meta-correctors
Vo, Cameron
Anderson, Owen
Wirth-Singh, Anna
Johnson, Rose
Majumdar, Arka
Coppens, Zachary
Optics
Long-range imaging in the thermal infrared band is critical for applications such as environmental monitoring, industrial inspections, and surveillance. To achieve high quality imaging, these systems typically require large apertures and many elements with complex shapes to correct aberrations, adding significant weight and cost. Large-area metasurface optics offer a promising solution for weight reduction; however, their substantial chromatic aberrations limit their effectiveness in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) band where broadband imaging is typically desired. In this work, we introduce a hybrid system comprising four refractive lenses and two all-silicon metasurface correctors (meta-correctors) to achieve high-quality, broadband thermal imaging at long range. Compared to a refractive-only assembly, our system demonstrates a three-fold contrast enhancement at the detector's half-Nyquist frequency. Testing outside the laboratory reveals noticeably sharper images, with human features clearly recognizable at distances of 250 meters. The assembly utilizes off-the-shelf refractive elements and avoids the use of germanium, which poses a supply chain risk. Our findings highlight the potential of hybrid meta-corrector systems to enable long-range, lightweight, and cost-effective LWIR imaging solutions.
title Broadband long-range thermal imaging via meta-correctors
topic Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.17072