Theory of thermal imaging using infrared to visible image up-conversion.
A novel method of thermal imaging based on the up-conversion of infrared radiation in nonlinear optical crystals is analyzed. An equation is derived giving the temperature resolution in terms of the pump laser energy E(p). For a proustite-ruby system based on the 8-13-micro band, a temperature resolution of better than 1 degrees C is predicted when the number of resolvable spots is 100 x 100 and E(p) = 10 J. Numerical results are also provided for eighteen possible systems having different combinations of pump laser (neodymium or ruby), infrared band (3-5 micro or 8-13 micro), nonlinear crystal (Ag(3)AsS(3), AgGas(2), ZnGeP(2), or LiNbO(3)), and imaging photocathode [S-1, S-20, GaAs/(Cs,O), or In(As,P)/(Cs,O)].
Hulme
K F
KF
Warner
J
J