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Shape memory polymer resonators as highly sensitive uncooled infrared detectors

Author

Listed:
  • Ulas Adiyan

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Tom Larsen

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Juan José Zárate

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Luis Guillermo Villanueva

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

  • Herbert Shea

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL))

Abstract

Uncooled infrared detectors have enabled the rapid growth of thermal imaging applications. These detectors are predominantly bolometers, reading out a pixel’s temperature change due to infrared radiation as a resistance change. Another uncooled sensing method is to transduce the infrared radiation into the frequency shift of a mechanical resonator. We present here highly sensitive resonant infrared sensors, based on thermo-responsive shape memory polymers. By exploiting the phase-change polymer as transduction mechanism, our approach provides 2 orders of magnitude improvement of the temperature coefficient of frequency. Noise equivalent temperature difference of 22 mK in vacuum and 112 mK in air are obtained using f/2 optics. The noise equivalent temperature difference is further improved to 6 mK in vacuum by using high-Q silicon nitride membranes as substrates for the shape memory polymers. This high performance in air eliminates the need for vacuum packaging, paving a path towards flexible non-hermetically sealed infrared sensors.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulas Adiyan & Tom Larsen & Juan José Zárate & Luis Guillermo Villanueva & Herbert Shea, 2019. "Shape memory polymer resonators as highly sensitive uncooled infrared detectors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-019-12550-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12550-6
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