Infrared transducer and goggles incorporating the same

摘要

An infrared (IR) radiation transducer integrates an IR detector array with a liquid crystal (LC) readout. The IR detector is preferably a pixelized bolometer array, but other detectors such as pyroelectric materials are possible. To modulate the LC in response to detected IR radiation, a modulating section is provided that includes a charge injection structure which injects electrical charge in response to the detected IR radiation, and a charge transfer structure that transfers the injected charge to the LC readout section. During its active phase the charge transfer layer is depleted of majority charge carriers, and the charge injection and transfer mechanism operates in a manner analogous to a bipolar transistor. A visible readout is obtained by directing readout light through the LC, where it is modulated in accordance with the detected IR image. The transducers are small and light weight enough to be incorporated into a pair of goggles, for which no separate cooling is required.