A thermal sensor
made out of graphene could lead to better
night vision
technology. Credit: American Chemical Society
(November 4, 2015) Movies such as 1987’s “Predator,” in
which an alien who sees in the infrared hunts down Arnold Schwarzenegger and
his team, introduced a generation of sci-fi fans to thermal imaging. Since
then, heat-sensing devices have found many real-word applications but have
remained relatively expensive and rigid. But a new development featuring
graphene, reported in ACS’ journal Nano Letters, could lead to a flexible,
transparent and low-cost infrared vision system.
The concept of humans — or aliens — having the power to see
in the infrared to help fight enemies in the dark has been around for decades.
Technology has allowed real-life military, police, firefighters and others to
do their jobs successfully at night and in smoky conditions. It also helps manufacturers
and building inspectors identify overheating equipment or circuits. But
currently, many of these systems require cryogenic cooling to filter out
background radiation, or “noise,” and create a reliable image. This approach,
however, complicates the design of these imaging devices, and adds to the cost
and the unit’s bulkiness. Tomás Palacios, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and colleagues
wanted to find a more practical solution.