Resolution capability comparison of infrared and terahertz imagers

Alain Bergeron; Linda Marchese; Éric Savard; Loïc LeNoc; Martin Bolduc; Marc Terroux; Denis Dufour; Denis Tang; François Châteauneuf; Hubert Jerominek

doi:10.1117/12.898937

13 October 2011 Resolution capability comparison of infrared and terahertz imagers

Alain Bergeron, Linda Marchese, Éric Savard, Loïc LeNoc, Martin Bolduc, Marc Terroux, Denis Dufour, Denis Tang, François Châteauneuf, Hubert Jerominek

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8188, Millimetre Wave and Terahertz Sensors and Technology IV; 81880I (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.898937
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2011, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

Infrared and terahertz are two imaging technologies that differ fundamentally in numerous aspects. Infrared imaging is an efficient passive technology whereas terahertz technology is an active technology requiring some kind of illumination to be efficient. What's more, the detectors are also different and yield differences in the fundamental physics when integrated in a complete system. One of these differences lies in the size of the detectors. Infrared detectors are typically larger than the infrared wavelengths whereas terahertz detectors are typically smaller than the wavelength of illumination. This results in different constraints when designing these systems, constraints that are imposed by the resolution capabilities of the system. In the past INO has developed an infrared imaging camera core of 1024×768 pixels and tested some microscanning devices to improve its sampling frequency and ultimately its resolution. INO has also engineered detectors and camera cores specifically designed for active terahertz imaging with smaller dimensions (160×120 pixels). In this paper the evaluation of the resolution capabilities of a terahertz imager at the pixel level is performed. The resolution capabilities for the THz are evaluated in the sub-wavelength range, which is not actually possible in the infrared wavebands. Based on this evaluation, the comparison between the resolution limits of infrared detectors and the terahertz detectors at the pixel level is performed highlighting the differences between the wavebands and their impact on system design.

Citation Download Citation

Alain Bergeron, Linda Marchese, Éric Savard, Loïc LeNoc, Martin Bolduc, Marc Terroux, Denis Dufour, Denis Tang, François Châteauneuf, and Hubert Jerominek "Resolution capability comparison of infrared and terahertz imagers", Proc. SPIE 8188, Millimetre Wave and Terahertz Sensors and Technology IV, 81880I (13 October 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.898937

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