High-resolution two-dimensional image upconversion of incoherent light.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Infrared Imaging Technology
• Quantum Optics

Background:

• High-resolution imaging of thermal light is crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Current methods for mid-infrared imaging often rely on specialized and expensive thermal cameras.
• There is a need for advanced optical techniques to improve quantum efficiency and spectral tunability in imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and experimentally validate a novel technique for high-resolution image upconversion of thermal light.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of achieving high-resolution continuous-wave (cw) upconversion for thermally illuminated objects.
• To explore the potential of this method as an alternative to existing thermal imaging technologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a continuous-wave (cw) upconversion technique.
• Experimentally demonstrated the imaging of thermally illuminated objects.
• Achieved image upconversion with a resolution exceeding 200 × 1000 pixels.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated high-resolution cw image upconversion of thermal light for the first time.
• Achieved imaging resolution of over 200 × 1000 pixels for thermally illuminated objects.
• The technique offers a pathway to high-quantum-efficiency all-optical imaging in the mid-IR and beyond.

Conclusions:

• The developed cw image upconversion technique provides a new method for high-resolution thermal imaging.
• This approach allows the use of standard CCD cameras, offering advantages over state-of-the-art thermal cameras.
• The method enables functional spectral imaging by allowing tailored spectral response tuning.