Temporal response analysis of a fluorescence-based thermal to visible converter

Abstract

Today's room temperature microbolometers focal plane arrays are the most widespread technology for the registration of thermal images. Other attempts to develop detection systems are based on the idea of converting the thermal information into visible. Thermal to visible converters try to achieve the possibility of "detecting" thermal radiation with common visible detectors. The development of these converters may provide IR and thermal detection methods for specific thermal imaging applications without excessive investment. Previously, we have proposed a conversion method based on temperature dependence of the fluorescence emission of a europium-doped complex. Here, we present the analysis of the temporal response of the sensing element and we also specify the desirable thermal and physical characteristics of such element in order to allow thermal to visible conversion in real time. With the analysis of the frequency response of the EuTTA fluorescence, we find that the emission presents a response that allows dynamic conversion. Furthermore, we analyze the thermal-transient response of the sensing element of the converter. Based on heat transfer simulation of a pixel of the sensing element, we establish the characteristics that the thermal design should fulfill in order to have efficient heat transfer in a dynamic converter.