Patent ID: 8405028

Claim:
A method of detecting infrared (IR), comprising: providing an IR detector, wherein the IR detector comprises: an absorbing layer; a light-emitting layer, wherein at least one of the absorbing layer and the light-emitting layer comprises an organic material; an organic light emitting diode (OLED), wherein the OLED incorporates the light emitting layer, a first electrode transparent to infrared light; and a second electrode, wherein IR light to be detected passes through the first electrode transparent to IR light and enters the absorbing layer, wherein the IR light is absorbed in the absorbing layer so as to generate photoexcited charge carriers, wherein the charge carriers are injected into the organic light emitting diode so as to generate photons, wherein the second electrode is transparent to the generated photons, wherein the generated photons pass through the second electrode, wherein the generated photons are in the visible range, and wherein the generated photons passing through the second electrode produce a visible output image corresponding to an infrared image incident on the first electrode, incidenting IR light on the IR detector; and receiving light emitted by the light-emitting layer as an indication of the incident IR light.