Light-weight, low-power consumption, low-cost IR sources are required for combat ID (IFF, identify friend or foe), trail markers, pallet markers, etc. They must be visible with conventional viewers at 200 meters in the 3-5 micron or 8-12 micron bands and emit no visible or near infrared radiation. Ion Optics has tested a prototype MEMS IR source that can meet all of these requirements. It uses a hermetically sealed filament with a photonic crystal-enhanced (PCETM) coating that efficiently generates narrowband IR light. The photonic crystal surface structure limits emission to (tunable) predetermined bands (3-5 and 8-12 microns specifically). These devices generate 10mW of IR light in the 3-5 micron band with "wall-plug" efficiency of 10%, 2 orders of magnitude more efficient than conventional IR LED's. This high efficiency enables overnight battery operation. Using traditional 3-5 micron MWIR cameras, we measured visibility ranges of 200 meters. Current research and development on wafer-level packaging of the MEMS device promises to increase device yield, improve reliability, reduce package size and reduce total cost.
A new kind of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) infrared beacon has been demonstrated. The omni-directional beacon consists of a pyramidal array of 1W pulsIR thermal light sources. Operating at a total power of 84W, the beacon can be used to track and identify surface vehicles and personnel with a recognition range of up to 6 miles on the battlefield and in urban environments or the marine boundary layer. Advanced photonic technology enables the beacon to be seen only while using a 3-5 μm or 8-12 μm thermal imaging system. There is no visible or near-IR emission to betray the location of the beacon. The beacon is rugged and will operate from -40 to 50°C ambient temperature, 0-100% relative humidity, 0 - 10,000 ft altitude, and meets MIL-STD 810F and MIL-STD 461E.
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