US 12,256,133 B2
Terahertz imaging system with evanescent-wave coupling
Michel Doucet, Quebec (CA); Alain Bergeron, Quebec (CA); Francis Genereux, Quebec (CA); Hassane Oulachgar, Quebec (CA); and Marc Terroux, Quebec (CA)
Assigned to INSTITUT NATIONAL D'OPTIQUE, Quebec (CA)
Appl. No. 18/040,699
Filed by INSTITUT NATIONAL D'OPTIQUE, Quebec (CA)
PCT Filed Sep. 8, 2021, PCT No. PCT/CA2021/051233
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 6, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/051842, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/077,209, filed on Sep. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0328340 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 23/13 (2023.01); G01N 21/3581 (2014.01); G02B 1/11 (2015.01); G02B 3/02 (2006.01); G02B 7/00 (2021.01); G02B 27/56 (2006.01); G02B 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04N 23/13 (2023.01) [G01N 21/3581 (2013.01); G02B 1/11 (2013.01); G02B 3/02 (2013.01); G02B 7/003 (2013.01); G02B 27/56 (2013.01); G02B 2003/0093 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging system for imaging a scene, comprising:
an image sensor for capturing images of the scene from light having wavelengths within a sensor spectral range, the image sensor having a sensing surface; and
an imaging optics optically coupled to the image sensor and configured to form the images of the scene onto the sensing surface of the image sensor, the imaging optics comprising a sensor-adjacent optical element having an exit surface located in close proximity to the sensing surface of the image sensor;
wherein the exit surface of the sensor-adjacent optical element and the sensing surface of the image sensor are spaced apart by a gap having a gap width similar to or smaller than a penetration distance of evanescent-waves for light having wavelengths within the sensor spectral range, thus enabling a transfer of optical power from the exit surface to the sensing surface by evanescent-wave coupling.