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Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations LB 2/24

Material Absorbs Nearly 100% of IR Light

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 27, 2012 — An ultrathin, tunable device developed at Harvard absorbs 99.75% of infrared light on demand and, when activated, looks like a black blob to IR cameras. The near-perfect absorber could expand the possibilities for energy harvesting and thermal detection. Designed by scientists at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and at the University of California, San Diego, the instrument is composed of a 180-nm-thick layer of vanadium dioxide on a sheet of sapphire. Although scientists have created many perfect absorbers before, none have had such versatile properties, the...Read full article

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    Published: November 2012
    Glossary
    bolometer
    A thermometric instrument used for the detection and measurement of radiant energy. Its essential component is a short narrow strip covered with a dead black absorbing coating and mounted at the lower end of a long cylindrical tube having a stop across it to exclude unwanted radiation. The electrical resistance of the strip changes with the changes in temperature that arise from absorbing varying amounts of radiant energy.
    infrared absorption
    Infrared radiation absorbed by crystals as a result of the excitation of lattice vibrations in which ions having opposite charges move relative to one another. These vibrations take place in a narrow band of frequencies.
    metamaterial
    Metamaterials are artificial materials engineered to have properties not found in naturally occurring substances. These materials are designed to manipulate electromagnetic waves in ways that are not possible with conventional materials. Metamaterials typically consist of structures or elements that are smaller than the wavelength of the waves they interact with. Key characteristics of metamaterials include: Negative refraction index: One of the most notable features of certain...
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    thermal imaging
    The process of producing a visible two-dimensional image of a scene that is dependent on differences in thermal or infrared radiation from the scene reaching the aperture of the imaging device.
    FiltersmirrorscamerasAmericasBasic SciencebolometerCommunicationsdetectorsenergy harvestingFederico CapassoHarvard School of Engineering and Applied SciencesHarvard SEASImaginginfrared absorptioninfrared camerasinfrared lightinfrared optical devicesMaterials & ChemicalsmetamaterialMicroscopyMikhail KatsOpticsperfect absorberphotonicsResearch & TechnologysapphireSensors & DetectorsShriram Ramanathanspectroscopythermal imagingvanadium dioxide

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