IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD USING A PHOTONIC BAND GAP ARRAY
First Claim
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1. An imaging system, comprising:
- a source of narrow bandwidth electromagnetic radiation having a specified wavelength;
an array of photonic band gap material cells positioned to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the source, each cell having a photonic band gap material with an absorption edge at about the emission frequency of the source of electromagnetic radiation;
an optical assembly arranged to direct electromagnetic radiation from a field of view onto the photonic band gap array and thereby shift the absorption edge of illuminated cells; and
a focal plane array positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from the photonic band gap array and to detect electromagnetic radiation with the specified wavelength.
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Abstract
An imaging system (20) includes an array (24) of photonic band gap material cells. The band gap material has an absorption edge at about the emission frequency of a source (22) of electromagnetic energy. Images from a field of view (26) directed onto the photonic band gap array (24) increase the temperature of the illuminated cells, shifting the absorption edge frequency for those cells. A focal plane array (28) detects the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the photonic band gap array (24) from the source (22). The intensity of the transmitted radiation is proportional to the shift in the photonic band gap edge.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An imaging system, comprising:
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a source of narrow bandwidth electromagnetic radiation having a specified wavelength; an array of photonic band gap material cells positioned to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the source, each cell having a photonic band gap material with an absorption edge at about the emission frequency of the source of electromagnetic radiation; an optical assembly arranged to direct electromagnetic radiation from a field of view onto the photonic band gap array and thereby shift the absorption edge of illuminated cells; and a focal plane array positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from the photonic band gap array and to detect electromagnetic radiation with the specified wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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10. A system comprising:
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a source of narrow bandwidth electromagnetic radiation having a specified wavelength; an array of photonic band gap material cells positioned to receive the electromagnetic radiation from the source, each cell having a photonic band gap material with an absorption edge at about the emission frequency of the source of electromagnetic radiation; an optical assembly arranged to direct electromagnetic radiation from a field of view onto the photonic band gap array and thereby shift the absorption edge of illuminated cells; and a focal plane array positioned to receive electromagnetic radiation from the photonic band gap array and to detect electromagnetic radiation with the specified wavelength, wherein the photonic band gap material has a lattice structure that expands approximately 0.25% per 10 C temperature rise, resulting in an approximately 4 to 10 decibel change in the transmission of the electromagnetic radiation.
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16. An imaging method comprising the steps of:
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(a) projecting electromagnetic radiation having a specified wavelength onto an array of photonic band gap material cells, where the photonic band gap material has an absorption edge at about the same frequency as the electromagnetic radiation projected onto the photonic band gap array; (b) receiving an image from a field of view onto the photonic band gap array, thereby increasing the temperature of cells illuminated by the image from the field of view and shifting the photonic band gap absorption edge frequency of the illuminated cells; and (c) detecting electromagnetic radiation of the specified wavelength transmitted through the photonic band gap array. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An imaging system comprising:
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(a) means for modulating transmission of electromagnetic radiation representative of an image from a field of view; (b) means for projecting electromagnetic radiation of a specified wavelength on the modulating means; (c) means for receiving electromagnetic radiation forming an image from a field of view at the modulating means; and (d) means for detecting electromagnetic radiation of the specified wavelength from the projecting means received from the modulating means.
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Specification