Detecting mid-infrared light by molecular frequency upconversion in dual-wavelength nanoantennas

From astronomy to the surveying of greenhouse gases, a wide range of science and engineering applications rely on the detection of mid-infrared (mid-IR) photons. However, because photons from the mid-IR have less than a tenth of the energy of the visible range, the detection is not as easy as taking a photo with a camera. IR detectors are generally very sensitive to thermal noise and must be kept cool, but for applications where a cryogenic setup is impractical, other engineering solutions must be used. Xomalis et al. demonstrate a technique to “up-convert” mid-IR light into the near-IR band, where it can be detected using standard room-temperature semiconductor detectors.

Authors: Angelos Xomalis; Xuezhi Zheng; Rohit Chikkaraddy; Zsuzsanna Koczor-Benda; Ermanno Miele; et al

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