Thermographic system with a laser scanning device

It is shown that laser photothermal radiometry (LPTR) in combination with laser beam scanning within the instantaneous field of view of a single-element photodetector can be used to develop a scanning thermal emission microscope. An expression is derived for estimating its temperature resolution. The results of calculations are presented and the factors influencing the spatial lateral resolution of the technique and the time of image formation with the help of an acousto-optical deflector are analysed.