Nanostructured Plasmonic Metal Surfaces as Optical Components for Infrared Imaging and Sensing

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-cost, scalable plasmonic reflective filter for infrared imaging that uses solution processing techniques, offering comparable performance to traditional materials but at significantly reduced manufacturing costs.

Contribution

It presents a novel, solution-processed plasmonic reflective filter that is inexpensive, scalable, and integrates seamlessly into infrared systems, advancing affordable thermal imaging technology.

Findings

PRF selectively absorbs sunlight and reflects infrared wavelengths effectively

PRF fabrication is inexpensive and uses chemical synthesis techniques

PRF maintains system performance in infrared imaging applications

Abstract

Thermal imaging and sensing technologies offer critical information about our thermally radiant world, and in recent years, have seen dramatic increases in usage for a range of applications. However, the cost and technical finesse of manufacturing infrared optical components remain a major barrier towards the democratization of these technologies. In this report, we present a solution processed plasmonic reflective filter or PRF as a scalable and inexpensive thermal infrared optic. The PRF selectively absorbs sunlight and specularly reflects thermal infrared TIR wavelengths with performance comparable to state-of-the-art TIR optics made of materials like Germanium. Unlike traditional infrared optical components, however, the PRF can be conveniently fabricated using inexpensive materials and a dip and dry chemical synthesis technique, and crucially, has manufacturing costs that are orders of magnitude lower. We experimentally demonstrate the core optical functionality of the PRF, as well as its integration into infrared imaging and sensing systems without compromising their thermographic or radiometric capabilities. From a practical standpoint, the inexpensive and convenient fabricability of the PRF represent a significant advance towards making the benefits of thermal imaging and sensing systems more affordable and accessible. Scientifically, our work demonstrates a previously unexplored optical functionality and a new direction for versatile chemical synthesis in designing optical components.