Antenna-coupled-into-rectifier infrared sensor elements and infrared sensors

An infrared sensor comprising:

• a plurality of infrared sensor elements, each of the plurality of sensor elements comprising:
• a plurality of antennas responsive to infrared radiation, the plurality of antennas having outputs, the plurality of antennas collectively having a beam width and beam angle, wherein the beam width and beam angle are configured to conform to an optical exit pupil of an optical system in which the infrared sensor element is positioned;
• a junction diode rectifier coupled to the outputs of the plurality of antennas, the junction diode rectifier configured to convert alternating current induced in the antennas by incident infrared radiation into a rectified signal, the rectified signal corresponding to a magnitude of the incident infrared radiation impinging the antennas;
• and
• a multiplexing circuit coupled to the infrared sensor elements, the multiplexing circuit configured to combine the signals generated in the infrared sensor elements by impinging infrared radiation into a serial signal.

An infrared sensor comprising:

• at least two arrays of sensor elements, the at least two arrays of sensor elements physically coincident, but each of the at least two arrays operating as separate sensors, each of the at least two arrays of sensor elements further comprising:
• a plurality of sensor elements, each of the sensor elements comprising:
• a plurality of antennas responsive to infrared radiation, the plurality of antennas having outputs, the antennas collectively having a beam width and beam angle, wherein the beam width and beam angle are configured to conform to an optical exit pupil of an optical system in which the infrared sensor element is positioned;
• a junction diode rectifier coupled to the outputs of the plurality of antennas, the junction diode rectifier configured to convert alternating current induced in the antennas by incident infrared radiation into a rectified signal, the rectified signal corresponding to a magnitude of the incident infrared radiation impinging the antennas, wherein the junction diode rectifier is configured to be connected directly to signal processing circuitry;
• and
• a multiplexing circuit coupled to the infrared sensor elements, the multiplexing circuit combining the signals generated in the infrared sensor elements by impinging infrared radiation into a serial signal.

A sensor comprising:

• a plurality of sensor elements, each of the plurality of sensor elements comprising:
• a tunable antenna responsive to radiation spanning from infrared to ultra-high frequency microwave, the tunable antenna having an output;
• a junction diode rectifier directly coupled to the output of the tunable antenna, the junction diode rectifier configured to convert alternating current induced in the tunable antenna by incident radiation corresponding to a frequency spanning infrared to ultra-high microwave frequencies into a rectified signal, the rectified signal corresponding to a magnitude of the incident radiation impinging the tunable antenna;
• and
• a multiplexing circuit coupled to the sensor elements, the multiplexing circuit configured to combine signals generated in the sensor elements by the incident radiation into a serial signal, wherein the sensor is configured to operate without cooling.