Short-wave infrared lens that can see through smog, dust, and smoke

The short-wave infrared lens has special value in the military field because of some unique characteristics. It combines short-wave infrared and long-wave infrared to maximize target detection and recognition. Spot detection, machine vision, industrial inspection, military monitoring and other short-wave infrared imaging applications, it is a compact and lightweight lens for short-wave infrared imaging.

Another advantage of the SWIR lens is that it creates an image very similar to what the human eye sees. This enhances identification capabilities and reduces potential friendly fire. In addition, transport vehicles equipped with near-infrared navigation lights can make it easy for other transport vehicles to follow. The optoelectronic masts of modern submarines require multi-spectral imaging and detection. And a very important one that has not been used is imaging in the near-infrared spectral region. For example, visible light imaging is usually impossible to see through smog, dust, and smoke, but near-infrared imaging is easy. In this case, short-wave infrared cameras have better imaging. The short-wave infrared camera is good for rocket tracking and imaging. Visible light long-distance imaging has the disadvantages of atmospheric distortion and susceptibility to haze. The observation of hot gas is very clear with SWIR and thermal imaging cameras.

The SWIR lens ensures a perfect day/night camera solution. It has the advantages of high resolution, no halo and high sensitivity. Users can capture the "night light" in the atmosphere in an environment without light sources to obtain clear and visible images. Ordinary digital cameras cannot provide enough information to describe a scene in an all-weather, comprehensive, accurate and reliable manner , It is easy to cause the loss and misjudgment of the target, and all imaging effects cannot be compared with SWIR lens technology.

Short-wave infrared lens is becoming more and more important in military and naval applications. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths are usually defined as 0.9μm-1.7μm, sometimes extended to 0.7-2.5μm. Since SWIR is not thermal imaging - objects do not emit radiation in this wavelength range, there is a lot of SWIR light during the day, and there is a lot of SWIR light at night due to the phenomenon of skyglow. 

Using reflected light and wavelengths that are similar to visible light and farther away from other infrared bands, SWIR imagers can produce high-resolution natural images. Longer wavelengths can penetrate haze, fog, and rain better than visible light, reveal lettering and paint on ships, and remove certain types of camouflage. Since SWIR is invisible to the human eye, thermal imaging cameras and night vision goggles, it can be used in conjunction with active lighting while remaining invisible, either with spotlights or eye-safe lasers. The short-wave infrared sensor uses an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) detector, which can work at room temperature without refrigeration.