A team of scientists from MIT introduced a novel strategy and manufacturing process called atomic lift-off that enables the creation of super-thin, IR-sensitive films. These nano-sized strips open the door for ultra-lightweight night vision and IR sensing technology. Here’s what you need to know.
How Infrared Sensors Work and Why They Matter
Infrared sensors are vital in today’s advanced electronics, which are found in use across various fields, including medical, aeronautics, and military. These devices utilize the infrared light band to accomplish various tasks, such as enabling advanced night vision systems. Notably, the majority of these systems rely on pyrodetector materials.
Pyroelectric materials generate an electrical signal when their temperature changes, due to shifts in internal polarization. The varying electrical charges allow these devices to signal temperature changes, which are reflected in the night vision system’s display.
Limitations of Traditional Infrared Sensors
Infrared systems have been instrumental in helping humanity conquer the night. However, there are still many issues that need to be resolved for these systems to achieve their peak performance and ideal form factor.
For one, these devices are bulky and heavy. The need to integrate a cooling system, which in many instances needs to keep the instruments at liquid nitrogen temperatures, is a major issue that makes these options more expensive to produce, harder to maintain, and more delicate. Additionally, their signal can be affected by interference from outside sources.
The Rise of Pyroelectric Infrared Detection
Recently, there has been a lot of attention put towards another method of creating IR-sensitive materials. The pyroelectric-based strategy relies on ultra-thin sheets of IR-sensitive materials that are grown on single-crystalline scaffolding. These devices can be made smaller and can accurately detect IR waves at room temperature.
Challenges of Scaling Pyroelectric IR Technology
The pyroelectric-based approach to IR sensors has some drawbacks that have limited its use to date. For one, it’s proven very difficult to manufacture nanoscale thin sheets and apply them to electronics without tearing them. The thinness of the stripes and the need to grow them and then peel them off the scaffolding has led many engineers to step back from this solution.
Breakthrough: Atomic Lift-Off Method for Ultra-Thin IR Sensors
Thankfully, MIT and UW-Madison researchers believe they have solved these issues. Their latest study1, “Atomic lift-off of epitaxial membranes for cooling-free infrared detection,” published in the journal Nature, delves into how the team researched various materials and strategies to create a universal exfoliation process.
The engineers demonstrate the production of diverse ultrathin perovskite membranes that measure less than 10 nm. They showcase various approaches to grow, peel, and stack semiconducting elements utilizing crystalline scaffolding to produce multifunctional electronic thin-film.
Source – Jung-El Ryu
Remote Epitaxy: Key to Scalable Ultrathin IR Devices
Understanding these challenges, the scientist created the remote epitaxy process, which consists of an ultrathin layer of graphene sandwiched between semiconducting materials. Keenly, graphene is preferred because it allows these materials to be peeled off cleanly.
Impressively, the single-crystalline substrate acts as the scaffolding that allows the material to grow into the desired shape and size. This approach can accurately produce nanoscale strips without damaging the reusable substrate, which helps to reduce costs and ensure uniformity.
Finding the Best Pyroelectric Materials for Night Vision
A lot of research and time went into finding the perfect pyroelectric material. The team knew that the material needed to be ultra-thin and have excellent heat-sensing capabilities. The group tried many different materials before they noticed one that stood out, PMN-PT.
Why PMN-PT is the Ideal Material for Atomic Lift-Off
PMN-PT showed a lot of desirable traits. For one, it could be grown directly onto the crystalline substrates and removed with no damage. The material peeled off intact and was smooth enough to be applied without any further actions required. As such, this led to the elimination of the intermediate layer as it was no longer needed to prevent sticking, upgrading the process considerably.
How Electron Affinity Enables Clean Peel-Off of IR Films
The researchers then decided that they needed to take an in-depth look at why PMN-PT was capable of such a smooth peel-off compared to other options. When they examined the molecular structure of the material, they observed an orderly arrangement of lead atoms.
This discovery was important because lead atoms act in a different way from other atoms. For one, they attract electrons like magnets. This effect creates binding within the material. Consequently, it can be peeled off perfectly intact, without tears or residue.
Testing the Atomic Lift-Off Process: Results and Findings
To test their theory, the team designed and created multiple ultrathin films of PMN-PT. They noted that the thinner each strip was, the better it operated. For one, the thinner the membrane, the more sensitive it was to thermal vibrations.
Delving into the process, they noted that the material achieved atomic precision lift-off of ultrathin membranes without artificial release layers. Impressively, the scientist produced strips as thin as 10nm.
After they produce a quantity of strips, the engineers then arrange 100 of them on a chip measuring 60 square micrometers. The chip was then set up to register any infrared light across the spectrum. The results highlighted the team’s theory that they could create more efficient and smaller IR sensors.
Room-Temperature Performance of Ultrathin IR Sensors
Specifically, the group noted that the chip’s pixels were highly sensitive to heat and radiation. Also, they documented that this sensitivity was spread across the far-infrared spectrum and occurred at room temperature.
As such, the new manufacturing process was capable of producing high-throughput, scalable, ultrathin, freestanding perovskite systems that performed on par with today’s state-of-the-art night-vision devices.
Advantages of Atomic Lift-Off for Infrared Detection
There are many benefits that the lift-off method brings to the market. For one, it produces very thin membranes that are much easier to integrate. Also, they don’t require cooling systems, which lowers manufacturing costs and simplifies their design, limiting failure points.
Enhanced Accuracy in Far-Infrared Sensing
These upgraded thin strips can produce highly accurate far-infrared sensing devices. They are capable of registering the entire IR spectrum and are more sensitive to small changes in temperature. This added sensitivity is a major upgrade to today’s most advanced options.
The Benefits of Lightweight and Flexible IR Sensors
There are a lot of benefits that come from making the material so much lighter. For one, it’s far more portable and can be utilized in more applications, including wearables. Additionally, the thin and light nature is complemented by the materials’ inherent flexibility.
Real-World Applications and Future Timeline for Atomic Lift-Off IR Sensors
There are several applications for ultrathin high-performance IR films. From creating next-generation computers to guiding your EV in complete darkness, these systems will play a vital role in making tomorrow’s tech function. Here are just a few of the possible applications for this technology.
Flexible Electronics and Ultrathin Computers Powered by Atomic Lift-Off
In the future, this technology could help make people’s computers better. The engineers have stated that the material and process could be adapted to make bendable displays. Also, flexible transistors and other elements make these sensors ideal for wearables, adding to their comfort and usability.
Enhancing EV Safety with Advanced Infrared Sensors
Ultra-thin IR strips will help your EV pilot through rough conditions like fog or heavy rain. These platforms can peer through these conditions and register pedestrians or other obstacles in real time. This capability is expected to see increased demand as self-driving vehicles continue to gain traction.
Next-Generation Imaging: Night Vision Glasses and Beyond
There are a variety of imaging devices that could benefit from this tech. For one, the team has already discussed creating ultra-thin NVDs. These compact devices could be reduced to the size of traditional eyeglasses. Eventually, the goal is to shrink the tech down to a contact lens.
Environmental Monitoring with Ultra-Sensitive IR Sensors
Environmentalists could utilize these sensors to monitor changes. The sensitivity and compact size mean that they could deploy these devices around an area without causing disruption. From there, the sensors could work together to provide a real-time alert of temperature alterations or pollutants.
Protecting Electronics with Temperature-Sensing IR Films
You could see these sensors used to protect your electronics as well. Imagine thin strips that monitor heat changes in semiconductor chips. They could alert the system and automatically shut it down at any signs of malfunctioning elements, preventing further damage or catastrophic failure.
Future of Flexible Solar Panels with Advanced Materials
This study could help make solar panels a lot thinner in the future. It is easy to imagine stretchy or even foldable solar panels. They could be made super light, enabling anyone to utilize the device for electricity generation in the future. Think of people placing a stretchy solar cover over their car or opening a solar beach umbrella to power their Bluetooth speaker.
Revolutionizing Space Exploration with Far-Infrared Sensing
The use of IR sensors in astronomy allows researchers to document astrophysical phenomena from across the galaxy. These occurrences emit far-infrared radiation, which tells a story as to their lifecycle. This study could help make these systems more accurate and extend their range deeper into space, unlocking long-held mysteries.
When Will Atomic Lift-Off IR Sensors Hit the Market?
You could see ultra-thin IR sensors integrated into electronics within the next 5 years if everything goes well. The researcher’s efforts will open the door for a more effective and cost-efficient manufacturing of these sensors. As such, you could be peering into the night using nothing but your reading glasses in just a few years.
Atomic-Lift Off Researchers
The Atomic Lift-Off study was led by MIT engineers in collaboration with a variety of other highly respected institutions. The paper lists the first authors as Xinyuan Zhang, Sangho Lee, Min-Kyu Song, Haihui Lan, Jun Min Suh, Jung-El Ryu, Yanjie Shao, Xudong Zheng, Ne Myo Han, and Jeehwan Kim. The project also received financial support from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
The Future of Atomic Lift-Off Technology in Infrared Sensing
The future of the ultra-thin IR film is bright. Now, the team seeks to create a working demonstration of a functional night-vision system. The system will help engineers better understand what interference and other hurdles they must overcome to bring the tech to the market.
Investing in the IR Sensor Market
The IR sensing sector has some competitors that have managed to pioneer new sciences. This technology has grown from sparse usage to finding a home in everyday electronics and advanced systems. Here’s one company that continues to push innovation in the IR sector.
Teledyne Technologies (TDY -0.12%) entered the market in 1960 as Teledyne Inc. It was founded in California by Henry Singleton and George Kozmetsky to provide high-end imaging to enterprise and government clientele. Since that time, Teledyne has grown to become one of the most successful US-based conglomerates in its sector.
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (TDY -0.12%)
Teledyne has operations and clientele across the globe. The company has a long heritage of providing high-end IR sensors and imaging systems to the most advanced projects. It has strategic partnerships with NASA, ESA, JAXA, and KARI. As such, it has participated in hundreds of space projects and is considered the leading authority on space-focused imaging sensors.
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Why Atomic Lift-Off Could Transform Infrared Sensing
This new method of creating ultra-thin IR sensors could propel multiple industries into their next innovative stages. The technology costs less than today’s options and outperforms them. As such, it’s easy to see how demand for these systems is sure to get rolling once the tech is publicly available. For now, congratulations to the team for their hard work and efforts.
Learn about other Material Science Breakthroughs Here
Studies Referenced:
1. Zhang, X., Ericksen, O., Lee, S. et al. Atomic lift-off of epitaxial membranes for cooling-free infrared detection. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08874-7