US Patent 8178842 - Nanowire bolometer photodetector

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8178842.html

Bolometers are used in night vision sensors to convert infrared into visible light but are often limited to a narrow band of wavelengths that can be detected. This patent from HP teaches increasing the bandwidth of wavelengths that can be detected by using semiconductor nanowires. Claim 1 reads:

1. A photodetector comprising at least one bolometer nanowire disposed at least partially within a photon trap, wherein said nanowire comprises a blackened surface configured to absorb from far-infrared to visible light.