Plasmonic Infrared Scene Projector

Truventic proposes to design, build and characterize a 5x5 array of fully functional MEMS-based plasmonic infrared scene projector pixels which operate at multiple wavelengths to support hardware-in-the-loop testing of missile seekers, forward looking IR cameras (FLIR), counter measure simulation and tracking systems. The approach avoids known limitations of resistive arrays and provides high dynamic range, unprecedented high apparent temperature, high modulation rates, high pixel to pixel contrast, and continuous signal. The approach has low power requirements and is fabricated from standard materials by low-cost CMOS processing. The broad collimated beam of a single infrared source is internally reflected from the face of a prism. The intensity of the reflection is spatially modulated using an MEMS array of metal pixels in close proximity to the prism face. The separation between each metal pixel and the prism face is electrically controlled. Excitation of highly localized surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on the metal plates draws power out of the reflected beam at the position of the pixel. SPP excitation depends exponentially on the controlled separation, allowing electronic control over a full dynamic range with high intensity resolution and at high frame rates.