Thermal detector
US8242446B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 24, 2007 |
| Grant date | Aug 14, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 13, 2029 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01J5/40
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A first object of the invention is a radiation detector comprising an energy absorber (203), for absorbing incident radiation (RAD) and thus undergoing a temperature increase; and optical readout means, for detecting said temperature increase; wherein said optical readout means comprises input coupling means (202) for coupling a light beam (2011) to said energy absorber (203) by exciting surface plasmons resonance, a surface plasmons resonance condition being dependent on the energy absorber (203) temperature, and wherein said energy absorber (203) is separated from said input coupling means (202) by a dielectric layer (2032).A second object of the invention is a micromechanical sensor comprising: a micromechanical oscillator and optical readout means (202) for detecting a displacement of said micromechanical oscillator; wherein said optical readout means comprise input coupling means (202) for coupling a light beam (2011) to a conductive surface (2031) by exciting surface plasmons resonance, a surface plasmons resonance condition being dependent on the displacement of said micromechanical oscillator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.