An Improved-Efficiency Compact Lamp for the Thermal Infrared
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Updated: Mar 30, 2026

High-resolution Thermal Micro-imaging Using Europium Chelate Luminescent Coatings
Published on: April 16, 2017
Wayne L O'Brien1, Nicholas D Boltin, Stephanie A DeJong
1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208 USA.
Abstract:
A major type of infrared camera is sensitive to wavelengths in the 8-14 μm band and is mainly used for thermal imaging. Such cameras can also be used for general broadband infrared reflectance imaging when provided with a suitable light source. We report the design and properties of an infrared lamp using a heated alumina emitter suitable for active thermal infrared imaging, as well as comparisons to existing commercial light sources for this purpose. We find that the alumina lamp is a broadband non-blackbody source with a lower out-of-band emission intensity and therefore higher electrical efficiency for this application than existing commercial sources.
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