Skip to main content
OSTI.GOVU.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
 

Method and apparatus for coherent imaging of infrared energy

Patent ·
OSTI ID:871544
 [1]
  1. Knoxville, TN
+ Show Author Affiliations

A coherent camera system performs ranging, spectroscopy, and thermal imaging. Local oscillator radiation is combined with target scene radiation to enable heterodyne detection by the coherent camera's two-dimensional photodetector array. Versatility enables deployment of the system in either a passive mode (where no laser energy is actively transmitted toward the target scene) or an active mode (where a transmitting laser is used to actively illuminate the target scene). The two-dimensional photodetector array eliminates the need to mechanically scan the detector. Each element of the photodetector array produces an intermediate frequency signal that is amplified, filtered, and rectified by the coherent camera's integrated circuitry. By spectroscopic examination of the frequency components of each pixel of the detector array, a high-resolution, three-dimensional or holographic image of the target scene is produced for applications such as air pollution studies, atmospheric disturbance monitoring, and military weapons targeting.

Research Organization:
LOCKHEED MARTIN ENRGY SYST INC
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
Assignee:
Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (Oak Ridge, TN)
Patent Number(s):
US 5751830
OSTI ID:
871544
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (7)

New semiconductor laser developed at Bell Labs journal April 1994
Extended long‐wavelength λ=11–15‐μm GaAs/Al x Ga 1− x As quantum‐well infrared photodetectors journal November 1991
Quantum Cascade Laser journal April 1994
Novel GaAs/AlGaAs multiquantum-well Schottky-junction device and its photovoltaic LWIR detection journal January 1992
New trends in infrared detector technology journal February 1994
Device physics of quantum well infrared photodetectors journal January 1993
Long-wavelength 128*128 GaAs quantum well infrared photodetector arrays journal December 1991

Similar Records

Method and apparatus for coherent imaging of infrared energy
Patent · Tue May 12 00:00:00 EDT 1998 · OSTI ID:644410
Coherent infrared imaging camera (CIRIC)
Conference · Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995 · OSTI ID:90209
Wide-band coherent receiver development for enhanced surveillance
Conference · Sat Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1998 · OSTI ID:650303

Related Subjects

/382/342/356/
active
active mode
actively
air
air pollution
amplified
apparatus
applications
array
atmospheric
camera
circuitry
coherent
combined
components
deployment
detection
detector
detector array
disturbance
element
eliminates
enable
enables
energy
examination
filtered
frequency
frequency component
frequency components
frequency signal
heterodyne
heterodyne detection
high-resolution
holographic
holographic image
illuminate
image
imaging
infrared
infrared energy
integrated
integrated circuit
integrated circuitry
intermediate
intermediate frequency
laser
laser energy
local
local oscillator
mechanically
method
military
mode
monitoring
oscillator
passive
passive mode
performs
photodetector
photodetector array
pixel
pollution
produced
produces
radiation
ranging
rectified
scan
scene
signal
spectroscopic
spectroscopy
studies
target
targeting
thermal
thermal imaging
three-dimensional
transmitted
transmitting
transmitting laser
two-dimensional
two-dimensional photodetector
versatility
weapons