Infrared Filter for Thermal Cameras Could Detect Pollution and Disease

Australian researchers at the University of Western Australia and Australian National University have developed an electrically tunable infrared filter that could enable portable thermal sensing devices. The microscopic device, made of suspended gold and silicon membranes with nanoscale perforations, can distinguish between different materials and gases by detecting their infrared "fingerprints" — functioning like color vision for thermal imaging. The technology, published in Advanced Materials Technologies, could lead to handheld pollution detectors and compact multispectral cameras while using significantly less power than conventional bulky thermal systems.