ABSTRACT
Multicolor detector capabilities are highly desirable for advanced infrared (IR) imaging systems since they provide enhanced target discrimination and identification, combined with lower false-alarm rates. Systems that collect data in separate IR spectral bands can discriminate both absolute temperature as well as unique signatures of objects in the scene. By providing this new dimension of contrast, multiband detection also offers advanced color-processing algorithms to further improve sensitivity above that of single-color devices. This is extremely important for identifying temperature differences between missile targets, warheads, and decoys. Multispectral IR focal plane arrays (FPAs) are highly beneficial for a variety of applications such as missile warning and guidance, precision strike, airborne surveillance, target detection, recognition, acquisition and tracking, thermal imaging, navigational aids and night vision, and so on [1,2]. They also play an important role in Earth and planetary remote sensing, astronomy, and so forth [3]. Single-color FPAs in conjunction with spectral filters, grating spectrometers of Fourier transform spectrometers have been deployed for a variety of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) spaceborne remote-sensing applications utilizing push-broom scanning to record hyperspectral images of the earth over the visible through very-long-wavelength IR (VLWIR) spectral range.
