Finite-difference time-domain simulation of low-F# Fresnel zone plates coupled to IR antennas

Abstract

Fresnel Zone Plate Lenses (FZPLs) have been successfully coupled to infrared (IR) antennas producing a responsivity enhancement of about two orders of magnitude. However, their lateral extension may compromise their applicability in focal-plane-arrays (FPA) IR imagers, where the dimensions of the pixel are constrained by the FPA spacing. When designing optimum-gain FZPLs for FPAs, we are lead to the requirement of FZPLs operating at very low F/#s (marginal rays propagating at a large angle in image space). In this case, Finite-Difference Time-Domain techniques (FDTD) are used to refine the physical-optics modelling results, producing a result closer to the actual case encountered in a high-fill-factor FPA. In this contribution, we analyze the FZPL designs by using FDTD techniques. The main result of the FDTD computation is the gain factor defined as the ratio of the response of the IR antennas coupled with the FZPL, compared to the same antennas without the FZPL.