Thermal imaging through hot emissive windows

Ciril Samuel Prasad; Henry O Everitt; Gururaj V Naik

doi:10.1038/s44172-024-00316-y

Thermal imaging through hot emissive windows

Commun Eng. 2024 Nov 16;3(1):172. doi: 10.1038/s44172-024-00316-y.

Authors

Ciril Samuel Prasad^{1

2}, Henry O Everitt^{2

3}, Gururaj V Naik⁴

Affiliations

¹ Applied Physics Graduate Program, Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
² Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
³ DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory-South, Houston, TX, USA.
⁴ Electrical & Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. [email protected].

Abstract

It is not currently possible for an infrared camera to see through a hot window. The window's own blinding thermal emission prevents objects on the other side from being imaged. Here, we demonstrate a path to overcoming this challenge by coating a hot window with an asymmetrically emitting infrared metasurface whose specially engineered imaginary index of refraction produces an asymmetric spatial distribution of absorption losses in its constituent nanoscale resonators. Operating at 873 K, this metasurface-coated window suppresses thermal emission towards the camera while being sufficiently transparent for thermal imaging, doubling the thermal imaging contrast when compared to a control window at the same temperature.

Grants and funding

W911NF2120031/United States Department of Defense | United States Army | U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command | Army Research Office (ARO)