Microcavity-enhanced optical bolometer

A device for imaging thermal infrared radiation, the device comprising:

• an array of pixels, each pixel in the array of pixels comprising an absorbing material to absorb incident thermal infrared radiation and a photonic crystal cavity in thermal communication with the absorbing material, absorption of the incident thermal infrared radiation by the absorbing material causing a shift in a resonance of the photonic crystal cavity;
• a light source, in optical communication with the array of pixels, to couple probe light to and from the photonic crystal cavities, the probe light probing the shifts in the resonances of the photonic crystal cavities;
• a detector array, in optical communication with the array of pixels, to detect the probe light scattered by the photonic crystal cavities;
• a substrate;
• and
• hollow pillars, extending from the substrate, to support pixels in the array of pixels above the substrate and to thermally isolate the array of pixels from the substrate,
• wherein the hollow pillars support the array of pixels above the substrate by a distance of about λLWIR/4, where λLWIR is a median wavelength of the incident thermal infrared radiation.

A method of making an optical bolometer, the method comprising:

• forming a photonic crystal cavity in a first substrate;
• forming an absorbing pyrolytic carbon pillar on the first substrate in thermal communication with the photonic crystal cavity;
• separating a stamp comprising the photonic crystal cavity and the absorbing pyrolytic carbon pillar from the first substrate;
• and
• disposing the stamp on supports extending from a second substrate, the supports thermally isolating the stamp from the second substrate.

A device for imaging mid-infrared (IR) and/or long-wave infrared (LWIR) radiation, the device comprising:

• a substrate;
• an array of pixels, each pixel in the array of pixels comprising at least one pyrolytic carbon pillar to absorb incident mid-IR and/or LWIR radiation and a photonic crystal cavity in thermal communication with the at least one pyrolytic carbon pillar, absorption of the incident mid-IR and/or LWIR radiation by the at least one pyrolytic carbon pillar causing a shift in a resonance of the photonic crystal cavity;
• hollow pillars, extending from the substrate, to support each pixel in the array of pixels above the substrate and to thermally isolate the array of pixels from the substrate;
• a light source, in optical communication with the array of pixels, to couple probe light to the photonic crystal cavities, the probe light probing the shifts in the resonances of the photonic crystal cavities;
• and
• a detector array, in optical communication with the array of pixels, to detect the probe light scattered by the photonic crystal cavities.