Far-infrared imaging antenna arrays

Abstract

A far-infrared imaging antenna array has been demonstrated for the first time. The array is a line of evaporated silver bow-tie antennas on a fused-quartz substrate with bismuth-microbolometer detectors. The measured optical transfer function shows that the system is diffraction limited. This imaging array should find direct application in fusion plasma diagnostics. If the microbolometers can be replaced by more sensitive diode detectors, the array should also find application in radiometry and radar.