초록 ▼

A compact, wide field of view, infrared imaging system with two Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) and, optionally, an additional one Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) band, has a single, color corrected lens element embedded within the detector/dewar assembly. The lens element has two aspherical surface profiles and

A compact, wide field of view, infrared imaging system with two Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) and, optionally, an additional one Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) band, has a single, color corrected lens element embedded within the detector/dewar assembly. The lens element has two aspherical surface profiles and utilizes a holographic optical element to manipulate and detect bands of energy that are harmonic components of each other. The infrared imaging system simplifies and shrinks the MWIR/LWIR imager while maintaining all of the required functionality. An exemplary infrared imaging apparatus performs at an F-stop (F/#) of at least 1.4 with a square field of view of 90×90 degrees.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An infrared imaging apparatus, comprising:a dewar, having an internal volume that defines a cold space;an IR transmissive window that seals the cold space to receive IR energy directly from an IR source;a lens located within the cold space to receive IR energy directly from th

What is claimed is: 1. An infrared imaging apparatus, comprising:a dewar, having an internal volume that defines a cold space;an IR transmissive window that seals the cold space to receive IR energy directly from an IR source;a lens located within the cold space to receive IR energy directly from the IR transmissive window, the lens has a first aspheric profile on a first side and a second aspheric profile on a second side, the first side parallel to the second side;an IR detector located within the cold space in operational communication with the lens and positioned coincident to a common focal plane of at least a first and second wavelength of IR energy;an optical stop located within the cold space in front of the lens; anda curved holographic optical element disposed on the second aspheric profile;wherein the lens and the holographic optical element are constructed and arranged to simultaneously color correct energy having said first wavelength from a first waveband of the infrared spectrum and said second wavelength from a second waveband of the infrared spectrum, wherein the first waveband is different from the second waveband, the second wavelength being a harmonic component of the first wavelength, and to focus the color corrected energy onto the common focal plane.