Antenna array connections for efficient performance of distributed microbolometers in the IR

Optical antennas and resonant structures have been extensively investigated due to its potential for electromagnetic detection and energy harvesting applications. However their integration into large arrays and the role of connection lines between individual antennas has drawn little attention. This is necessary if we want to exploit its potential constructively and to enable economical large-scale fabrication. In this contribution we point out some features that an efficient antenna array should address. Experimental measurements on aluminum microbolometers are compared to electromagnetic simulations, it is shown that the finite size of a real array and the interconnection lines interact and affect the global performance.