High-speed infrared thermistor bolometer based on the Gires-Tournois resonator architecture

Opt Lett. 2026 May 1;51(9):2456-2459. doi: 10.1364/OL.596060.

Abstract

Thermistor bolometers play a critical role in room-temperature infrared thermal imaging. Conventional commercial thermistor bolometers typically exhibit a thermal time constant exceeding 10 ms, which limits their performance in high-speed applications. In this work, we propose a type of thermistor bolometer based on the Gires-Tournois resonator architecture integrated with a suspended nanomembrane for infrared detection. Leveraging a compact, low-thermal-mass structural design, the proposed detector exhibits significantly improved dynamic response characteristics. Experimental characterization of the prototype device shows an operating bandwidth beyond 330 Hz, corresponding to a thermal time constant of 480 μs. At the resonant wavelength of 3 μm and under a 1 V bias, a specific detectivity of 9.16×107cm Hz1/2W-1 is achieved at room temperature. Our demonstration establishes a viable path toward future high-speed and high-sensitivity infrared detection.