Improvements in pyroelectric detectors.

摘要

A pyroelectric detector in which an active pyroelectric infra-red detector element (10) is mounted adjacent to a block of more rigid material (20). The latter (20) is provided to reduce vibration included strain in the device element (10) by reducing lateral strain locally and by allowing strain relaxation through the thickness of the block (20). The block (20) may be of cylindrical or cuboid form and for optical effect has an aspect ratio of at least one. The block may be of high specific stiffness ceramic material, for example alumina. Further improvement may be achieved by electrical compensation, there being provided a nonabsorbent compensation element adjacent to the active element (10), this element being mounted upon the same block (20).