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Cooled Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) Lens

A Cooled Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) Lens is specifically designed for use with infrared imaging systems that include a detector cooled to cryogenic temperatures. This cooling significantly reduces thermal noise, enhancing the detector's sensitivity to infrared radiation in the long-wave infrared spectrum, typically between 8 to 14 micrometers. These systems are primarily used in applications where high sensitivity and resolution are critical.
Cooled LWIR Catalog
Cooled LWIR
Types of Cooled LWIR Lenses

Types of Cooled LWIR Lenses

Cooled LWIR lenses can be differentiated by several key characteristics:

  1. Fixed Focal Length Lenses: These lenses have a predetermined focal length and are used in applications where the imaging conditions are constant.
  2. Variable Focal Length (Zoom) Lenses: These lenses allow the operator to adjust the focal length to vary the magnification and field of view, accommodating different imaging scenarios.
  3. Athermalized Lenses: Designed to maintain focus and performance across temperature extremes without manual adjustment, crucial for environments with varying temperatures.
  4. Telephoto Lenses: Offer long focal lengths for distant object imaging, commonly used in security and surveillance for border or coastal monitoring.
Differences Between Cooled and Uncooled LWIR Lenses

Differences Between Cooled and Uncooled LWIR Lenses

Cooled LWIR Lenses:

  • Functionality: Use a detector cooled to cryogenic temperatures to reduce thermal noise.
  • Advantages: Higher sensitivity and better resolution, allowing for the detection of smaller or more distant objects, and finer details in thermal imaging.
  • Disadvantages: More expensive, larger, heavier, require more power, and entail higher maintenance due to the cooling mechanism.

Uncooled LWIR Lenses:

  • Functionality: Operate with detectors at ambient temperature, relying on changes in resistance, voltage, or current of the detector material as it heats up from infrared radiation.
  • Advantages: Less expensive, lighter, smaller, simpler, and require less power and maintenance.
  • Disadvantages: Generally lower sensitivity and resolution compared to cooled systems.
Critical Parameters of Cooled LWIR Lenses

Critical Parameters of Cooled LWIR Lenses

  1. Focal Length: Determines the lens’s field of view and magnification capabilities.
  2. F-Number: A lower F-number means better performance in low-light conditions by allowing more light to enter the lens.
  3. Material: Common materials include Germanium, Zinc Selenide, and Zinc Sulfide, each with specific transmission efficiencies in the LWIR spectrum.
  4. Detector Compatibility: Ensuring the lens is optimized for the specific cooled detector in use, considering factors like detector size and pixel pitch for optimal image quality.
Applications of Cooled LWIR Lenses

Applications of Cooled LWIR Lenses

  • Military and Defense: High-resolution surveillance, missile guidance systems, and reconnaissance.
  • Astronomy: Observing and studying celestial bodies in the infrared spectrum.
  • Scientific Research: Detailed thermal imaging in controlled experiments and environmental studies.
  • Law Enforcement: Surveillance in complete darkness or through obstructions like smoke and fog.
  • Maritime and Border Surveillance: Long-distance monitoring to detect unauthorized entries or activities, often in challenging lighting and weather conditions.

Cooled LWIR lenses are integral to advanced imaging systems that require precise, high-resolution thermal imaging across various professional and scientific applications. These systems are particularly valued in fields where the ability to detect slight differences in thermal signatures from a distance can be critical.

Shape Optics’ unwavering commitment to excellence propels the advancement of Infrared Optical (IR Optical) Modules. With Shape Optics, the unseen is revealed, and mysteries are deciphered. Enhance your innovation trajectory with Shape Optics’ Infrared Optical Module Solutions—redefining the limits of perception. Contact Shape Optics today to begin a transformative journey with our custom Infrared Optical (IR Optical) Module imaging solutions.

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