The Benefits of Using IR Optics manufacturer

The human eye cannot see infrared light since this light lies beyond the visible light spectrum. However, thanks to infrared optics, it&#;s possible to capture infrared light.

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But what is infrared optics?

Infrared (IR) optics refers to any device that can register, display and emit infrared radiation. These devices use optical elements such as an infrared filter, mirror, and infrared lenses to capture infrared light.

An IR lens captures infrared light that is virtually impossible to see with the naked eye. While a normal camera lens captures images of objects that radiate light that is visible to the eye, an infrared lens detects electromagnetic radiation, which is the light that lies beyond the visible spectrum.

Moreover, an infrared lens depends on heat rather than light to record images. Since IR light can be felt as heat, an infrared lens can be able to express the heat value of an object that radiates heat.

Infrared lenses have a wide range of industry applications. For instance, they are used in thermal imaging cameras by medical professionals. IR technology is also used by electricians and building inspectors to detect leaks, corrosion, and other building deterioration dangers.

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This article explores everything you need to know about IR lenses and how they work.

How Does an Infrared Lens Work?

The human eye is an optical device with a sensor called the retina. Regular cameras work very much like the naked eye, as they receive and turn radiation from the visible light spectrum into an image.

Unfortunately, a normal camera, just like the retina, cannot detect infrared rays.

The good news is that we can use IR cameras to detect this light. Infrared cameras require a custom lens, infrared filters, and sensors to capture IR light.

Notably, infrared camera lenses work differently from regular camera lenses.

An infrared lens works by capturing all the IR light bouncing around and redirects this light to the camera sensor, which helps create a clear thermal image. IR lenses used in infrared cameras capture invisible heat or IR radiation in extended wavelength ranges of 700 to 900 nm or more.

An infrared lens helps to focus the infrared radiation of the object to the camera&#;s sensor, which generates an amplified electrical signal that is converted to a fine image.

An IR camera lens makes images from thermal radiation, aka infrared or heat. This is why IR camera custom lenses are made of materials such as germanium, silicon, chalcogenide glass, and other substances that have low absorption and are transparent in the infrared spectrum.

Main Advantages of IR Lenses

The biggest advantage of infrared lenses is that they help capture images that the human eye cannot see. This means that an image taken with an infrared lens is very unique and greatly different from what is captured by a normal camera lens.

Other advantages of an IR lens include:

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• &#; Helps capture images in low light conditions, which is useful in security and surveillance applications
• &#; The focus of the lens is consistent with visible light, which makes images clearer
• &#; IR lenses use the latest optical design and LD optical glass technology, which helps eliminate the focal plane shift of near-infrared and visible light
• &#; In surveillance applications, the IR lens helps keep lighting discreet, helping conceal the camera&#;s viewing direction
• &#; IR lenses have higher penetration rates which is important for use in machine vision and applications with smoke, dust, and fumes
• &#; IR lenses are insensitive to moderate vibration
• &#; Suitable for scenes with high temperatures as they provide high-precision temperature measurement
• &#; IR lens detection distance is very long as it can see a distance of 10 to 30 km or more making it suitable for long-distance illumination
• &#; IR lenses are immune to visual limitations

What Are Infrared Lenses Used For?

IR lenses are used in several applications and scenarios, as noted below.

• &#; Used in thermal imaging cameras for security applications to detect temperature differences in passengers and luggage
• &#; Used in trail cameras for night vision and to capture wildlife activity
• &#; Used in infrared cameras to capture unique artistic images
• &#; Used in IR cameras by inspection and home repair professionals to detect leaks and potential dangers in buildings
• &#; Used in thermal imaging cameras that are connected to phones via Bluetooth to see through obstacles
• &#; Used in IR cameras for surveillance and security to detect intruders or predators in invisible light and restricted areas
• &#; Used in IR cameras to detect fire images by firefighters and to see people located inside burning houses
• &#; Used in thermal imaging cameras to help veterinary and medical professionals detect illness and injury
• &#; Used in IR cameras by electricians and engineers to detect active wires that can be a danger during construction or home repairs
• &#; Helps detect heat loss in buildings and evaluate the building sustainability, integrity and isolation quality

Conclusion

In closing, infrared cameras use IR lenses that are sensitive to infrared heat or energy. Infrared lenses have various advantages, including the ability to capture images that are invisible to the human eye. IR lenses are also not limited by high temperatures and are also suitable for long-distance illumination. Due to their unique advantages, IR lenses can be used in several applications, including surveillance cameras, thermal imaging cameras, and infrared photography.

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Infrared optics, or IR optics, are growing in demand due to their ability to aid in navigation and surveillance in a few different markets. These optical devices differ from other optics because they deal with infrared light instead of visible light, which creates specific thin film requirements for their manufacturing.

What is Infrared Light?

To understand the requirements for IR optics and their applications, it&#;s important to note the distinction between infrared light and visible light. On the electromagnetic spectrum, infrared is just beyond visible light, meaning that humans can&#;t detect it with their eyes alone.

Wavelengths from infrared light are longer than visible light wavelengths, and infrared also has a lower frequency than visible light. Because the wavelengths are longer, there is often less scatter and absorption of infrared light. Through precision optics, light may be focused (for example, through a laser or LED) to meet application requirements, but infrared light still needs to be detected.

How IR Optics Are Used

IR optics are very often used in thermal imaging applications, where detectors are needed to identify and map the infrared energy emitted by objects. The warmer an object is, the more infrared light (and thermal energy) it will emit. IR cameras can detect this energy and then convert it into an electronic signal to produce a thermal image. The lens focuses the IR waves onto an IR sensor array.

Because IR detectors rely only on thermal energy for identifying and mapping out objects, they present a number of benefits to defense applications. They are commonly used in night vision gear, long-range imaging in missile guidance systems and remote target acquisition.

IR imaging systems do not need any visible light (such as a flash or background light) in order to capture images, providing a level of necessary covertness for defense applications. Lighting is often not ideal in the field for military or defense operations, which may take place in tough weather conditions or after nightfall. Optical imaging devices would be limited in those situations and provide low-quality results, whereas IR detectors can still create very detailed images regardless of the environment or lighting.

Market Drivers for IR Optics

The infrared detector market as a whole is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.4% through ; the IR camera market is expected to see similar growth, with a CAGR of 8.3% to reach $9.3 billion. The global military electro-optical/infrared systems market is expected to grow to $14.3 billion by , with a CAGR of 2.98%.

Beyond the defense applications listed above, here are a few of the other drivers of demand for IR detectors and cameras:

Security and surveillance: Because IR cameras can operate without any visible light, they are also a suitable option for surveillance. With good image contrast, they can monitor large areas.

Commercial applications: In commercial use, IR detectors can be used to monitor an object&#;s temperature and ensure that temperature control is always maintained. This is especially useful in environments such as data warehouses, where the equipment produces a ton of heat as it operates.

Smart homes: It&#;s becoming more common for residential homes to become &#;smart&#;, where household appliances and systems are monitored and managed remotely. Thermal imaging and IR motion detection are often used for security and alarm systems in these homes.

Thin Film Considerations

Zinc sulfide, germanium and zinc selenide are a few of the most common materials used in thin film coatings to create focal plane array IR detectors. Because of the longer wavelengths, thicker layers are needed, leading to very long run times during thin film deposition. Improving deposition rate is not as much of a concern as improving precision and yield. For consistency throughout each run, reliability and stability are paramount.

IR imaging systems also often require indium bumps as electrical interconnects. The indium bump bonds the detector to the electronic submount for readout, ensuring greater durability for end use. The high-yield flip chip assembly is also an important feature for meeting higher-density pixel requirements.

To learn more about how indium bump deposition can be used in IR imaging for defense applications, download our infographic, 4 Considerations for Indium Bump Deposition for Flip-Chip Micro-Array Image Sensing.

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