Carbon nanotube based multiple spectrum infrared camera

Abstract

Infrared (IR) cameras have wide range of applications, but high cost and low performance of its core component, IR detectors, prevent theirs broad usages in various fields. Motivated by this challenge, a carbon nanotube (CNT) based multiple spectrum IR camera was developed, which used nano-size CNT as the functional element of IR detectors, integrating into a novel camera architecture. CNT has exceptional optoelectronic properties owing to its one dimensional (1D) quantum confined structure. IR detectors using multi-wall CNT (MWCNT), comprising of CNTs with multiple diameters, demonstrated that they can effectively detect multiple-spectrum IR signals at room temperature, which is difficult for detectors using planar materials due to the high noise and single bandgap energy of bulk semiconductors. IR detectors using CNTs were assembled by bottom-up approaches, thus it is difficult to manufacture a large focal plane array as in conventional camera structure. In the new IR camera configuration, the image is projected onto a micro-mirror array, which encodes the image using compressive sensing algorithm. The encoded signals are captured by a single IR detector. Images were recovered by decoding the information obtained from the CNT detector. Experimental results showed that an IR image with 50x50 resolution can be recovered by only 800 times of measurement. This novel imaging architecture shows promising future in IR camera system. © 2011 IEEE.