High sensitivity photomechanical MW-LWIR imaging using an uncooled MEMS microcantilever array and optical readout (Invited Paper)

The value of infrared imaging in defense, security and public safety applications has been well established. A number of camera technologies have been developed and are commercially available. Yet the cost, size and power consumption of the typically cryogenically cooled cameras remain a significant impediment to more widespread deployment for these missions and extended exploitation in other fields. Agiltron has been developing a MEMS microcantilever technology offering high sensitivity and expanded operating temperature range in order to address the fundamental shortcomings of currently available technology. Here we report results achieved to date with our imagers and present an analysis of the performance potential of the architecture. We derive the fundamental mechanical limit to NEDT of this photomechanical imager architecture.