For reasons associated with size, weight, power consumption, and cost, the future of infrared systems for all spectral bands is being driven towards megapixel formats operating under diffraction- and background-limited conditions with ever-smaller pixel pitches and ever-higher operating temperatures. The performance requirements of such systems with regard to both optical and detector limitations are examined for the materials technologies and device architectures that are in vogue today. At elevated operating temperatures, available noise equivalent temperature difference values for diffraction-limited operation are found to be strongly dependent on the available pixel pitch, optimizing at values ∼λ/4, where λ is the operating wavelength. The possibility for extending the operation of mid- and long-wavelength focal plane arrays to room temperature with diffraction- and background-limited performance is discussed, together with the potential issues that must be addressed in order to achieve this ultimate goal.
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