How to turn a simple camera into an infrared imager

#Infrared #image #sensor

• The Foothill/Orange County Jt. Sections Nanotechnology Council Chapter invites you to attend this event hosted also by the IEEE Student Chapter at Cal Poly Pomona

Abstract: Camera technology has improved dramatically over the years. Nowadays almost everyone owns a mega-pixel CMOS camera (in their phone), which produces high definition images and is a fraction of the cost of the  high-end cameras from just 10 years ago. Despite the amazing capabilities of modern CMOS cameras, they only work in the visible range of the spectrum. In other words, these cameras cannot map images in the infrared range of the spectrum, beyond the spectral range of our eyes. The infrared range is important for a lot of imaging applications, because fundamental molecular resonances occur in this spectra window, which enables the generation of images with ‘chemical’ contrast. Infrared cameras exist, but they are noisy, low definition and extremely expensive. We have recently discovered a new method that turns a regular CMOS camera into an infrared imager. This optical method involves the simultaneous absorption of two photons by the silicon chip in the camera. This approach offers an attractive and affordable way to rapidly record infrared chemical images at high definition, enabling a new range of infrared imaging applications, including remote sensing, biomedical imaging and 3D visualization of printed circuits. In this presentation, we will discuss this new technology in the context of recent trends in optical imaging and illuminate career opportunities in the field of optics.