THz to IR converter for incoherent detection of radiation

The field of THz imaging continues to rapidly develop with ever more variety and sensitivity in both methods of sensing as well as detectors in array imaging formats. Nevertheless, comparatively the techniques developed in the shorter wavelength regions, such as in the IR, are better developed and far exceed in performance compared to the state of the art in THz imaging components. To that end using passive or active devices that can upconvert the THz radiation into the IR band can be advantageous for development of remote sensing applications such as low-IR visibility target detection as well as naturally radiant THz sources. To achieve such a feat the fundamental approach is to design and THz absorber that can emit in the IR so that in turn can be detected. Using a novel metasurface absorber the THz to IR radiation conversion can be optimized to detect incoherent radiation. Here we show how effective such a method is towards detection of incoherent THz radiation.