Wavelength conversion (WC) imaging is a methodology that employs temperature sensitive detectors to convert photoinduced termperature into a detectable optical signal. One specific method is to use molecular detectors such as thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC), which exhibits thermochromism to observe the surface temperature of an area by observing the apparent color in the visible spectrum. Utilizing this methodology, an ultra-broadband room temperature imaging system was envisioned and realized using off the shelf thermochromic liquid crystals. The thermochromic properties of the sensor were characterized to show a thermochromic coefficient α = 10%/°K and a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 64 μW. With the TLC camera, images of both pulsed and continuous wave (CW) sources spanning 0.6 μm to 150 μm wavelengths were captured to demonstrate its potential as a portable, low-cost, and ultra-broadband imaging tool.

Date Published: 27 March 2013
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 8624, Terahertz, RF, Millimeter, and Submillimeter-Wave Technology and Applications VI, 862415 (27 March 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2012071

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8624:
Terahertz, RF, Millimeter, and Submillimeter-Wave Technology and Applications VI
Laurence P. Sadwick; Créidhe M. O'Sullivan, Editor(s)