Multispectral multipolarization antenna-coupled infrared focal plane array

An Infrared (IR) detector antenna unit for detecting IR radiation comprising:

• (a) an antenna-coupled focal plane array of pixels;
• (b) said pixels each having a plurality of infrared sensors for receiving IR radiation, wherein adjacent non-overlapping pixels respond to a different IR radiation;
• (c) said infrared sensors each having a plurality of metal antenna arms coupled to the sensor, wherein a length of the plurality of arms connected with each infrared sensor corresponds to an IR radiation wavelength;
• and
• (d) output means for connecting and receiving output from said infrared sensors.

A method of providing multi-spectral and multi-polarization responses of an antenna array, comprising the steps of:

• providing plural arrays of antenna-coupled detectors, said antenna-coupled detectors having a sensor;
• providing antenna arms connected to said sensors on an array with selected lengths and orientations;
• adjusting at least one of the lengths and the orientation of the antenna arms;
• and
• modifying at least one of the spectral responses and the polarization responses of the antenna, wherein adjacent non-overlapping arrays of arrays of antenna-coupled detectors correspond to different at least one of the spectral responses and the polarization responses.

A multi-spectral multi-polarization antenna-coupled infrared focal plane array comprising:

• plural first arrays of antenna coupled detectors responding to a first infrared radiation arranged in a matrix of rows and columns;
• plural second arrays of antenna coupled detectors responding to a second infrared radiation arranged in a matrix of rows and columns;
• plural first pixels each including one of the plural first arrays of detectors;
• plural second pixels each including one of the plural second arrays of detectors, wherein the plural first pixels and the plural second pixels are arranged in a checker-board pattern forming an array of pixels, wherein the infrared detector antenna unit has multi-spectral and multi-polarization responses.

An Infrared (IR) detector antenna unit for detecting IR radiation comprising:

• an antenna-coupled focal plane array of pixels;
• said pixels each having a plurality of infrared sensors for receiving IR radiation, wherein adjacent non-overlapping pixels respond to a different IR radiation;
• said infrared sensors each having a plurality of metal antenna arms coupled to the sensor, wherein a length of the plurality of arms connected with each infrared sensor corresponds to an IR radiation wavelength;
• and
• output means for connecting and receiving output from said infrared sensors, wherein the pixels are arranged in a first and second matrix of rows and columns and respond to a first and second IR radiation wavelength, respectively, and a different one of a horizontal and a vertical polarization.