IR and metasurface based mm-wave camera

Abstract

We have developed a technique to measure low-power electromagnetic fields from mm-wave devices non-intrusively by combining a metasurface, designed to absorb power and focus the radiated power in a thermally isolated region, with an infrared (IR) camera. The metasurface consists of thermally isolated elements of low mass and highly emissive material for maximal IR conversion of the incident wave. The IR camera captures the converted energy and indirectly images the incident electromagnetic field on the metasurface. The setup combines multi-scale, multi-physical processes to conduct measurements of the incident electromagnetic fields in real time. In this work, the technique is presented and discussed. Measurements are carried out to demonstrate the technique and image the electromagnetic field of a radiating device. The results compare well with simulations, and the technique can measure the low power density levels of consumer devices and provide a general visualization of electromagnetic fields in a live setting.