Direct infrared image up-conversion with a praseodymium chloride quantum counter

Abstract
Infrared images at 1.48, 1.59, 2.05, 2.38, and 4.81 μm have been successfully up‐converted to 645.2 nm by using a PrCl3 quantum counter. Maximum up‐converted resolution is 2.92 line pairs/mm, equal to that of the projected image, for an optical pump intensity of 2 mW/cm2 on a 0.63‐cm format. A quantum efficiency of 4.6 × 10−6 has been measured for a device temperature of 163 °K and an optical pump intensity of 8 mW/cm2. The variation in 645.2‐nm fluorescence with temperature is explained in terms of a depopulation mechanism involving thermal excitation to levels higher than 3P0.

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