Infrared detectors based on the infrared receptors of pyrophilous beetles

The infrared receptor (sensillum) of the beetle Melanophila acuminata is a highly sensitive infrared sensor. The well-known gas-filled Golay cell is a first approach to describe the working principle of such a sensillum. In contrast to the Golay cell the working fluid in a sensillum is a liquid. For the selection of the optimum fluid, water, hydrocarbons and air are compared. As a result hydrocarbons create a more than 4.5 higher deflection of the membrane. The gas-filled Golay cell uses a compensation leak to compensate ambient temperature changes. For the layout of the compensation leak an analytical solution was derived.