Research leading to the development of a remote optical dynamic pressure measurement system is proposed. this instrument would consist of a small passive transducer at the point of measurement, and a remotely located transmit/receive unit which would interrogate the transducer with a laser beam… More

Research leading to the development of a remote optical non-deformable load cell is proposed. this instrument would consist of a fused silica load transducer, in conjuction with a 2-frequency laser & associated electronics. the proposed transducer would become birefringent under an applied load (due… More

Speed, accuracy and safety are offered by a non-contact, all dielectric current measurement technique utilizing polarized light and fiber optic cables made from materials which exhibit the faraday effect. the faraday effect manifests itself by the rotation of the plane of vibration of plane… More

The specific aim of this proposed program is to demonstrate the feasibility of using a non-invasive device, a transcutaneous method, for the screening of children and adults for elevated blood lead levels. the proposed instrument: (1) will provide for a rapid and inexpensive test, (2) will eliminate… More

Optra, inc. proposes to develop and demonstrate a dynamic blast and shock gauge based on the stress-optic effect in combination with an optical readout. the proposed technique has the advantages of excellent temporal resolution (projectedto exceed 1 mhz), small size and physical robustness,… More

A program to develop stabilized fabry-perot etalons (confocal and plane-mirror), based on the application of stabilized 2-frequency lasers, is proposed. the 2-frequency laser has be demonstrated to have excellent frequency stability. its output consists of orthogonally polarized col-linear beams… More

In the proposed program we will develop an instrument for measuring small amounts of transient birefringence in microscopic biological samples, and will apply it to an existing measurement requirement in the area of neurophysiology. the proposed laser micropolarimeter will be capable of measuring… More

Optra proposes to develop and demonstrate a fast high pressure transducer based on the stress-optical effect in a single optical crystal. the small size of the sensor results in a fast response, and its mono-lithic nature--with sensing and transducing functions combined in one and the same… More

An effort directed towards the demonstration of an optical non-contact interferometric strain gage is proposed. the concept is based on detecting the motion of a diffusely reflecting surface by imaging a moving fringe pattern on the surface, and then inferring the motion of the surface (in a… More

Research leading to the development of a remote optical thermometer for severe environments is proposed. the temperature sensing element consists of a small sapphire crystal transducer which is coupled to a remote excitation source and readout unit by optical fibers. the basis for the measurement is… More

Research leading to an absolute thermometer with a fiber optic readout is proposed. the basic sensing element is a short length of sapphire. under a previously funded effort, optra has demonstrated that the optical birefringence of sapphire is highly predictable and a nearly linear function of… More

Optra has recently developed an optical technique, involvingthe use of a 2-frequency hene laser, for making precise non-contact measurements of the transverse motions of diffuse surfaces. optra proposes herein to apply this technique to the measurement of the extension, under appliedload, of samples… More

The proposed research is directed towards the development of instrumentation and methods which will provide a rapid, simple, standardized system for assessing in vitro cytotoxicological effects. standardized systems are necessary if the significant economic and technical advantages of toxicity tests… More

An electro-optical technique for the measurement of relative motion between components with arc-second accuracy is proposed. the measurement range is fundamentally unlimited, quite practical over several degrees, and permits translations in excess of one inch between components. two application… More

This proposal addresses the direct measurment of free surface mechanical sheer waves with a non-contact laser sensor. the proposed sensor utilizes a heterodyne, 2-frequency hene laser developed by optra. a prototype has been tested and has the capability of measuring in-plane vibrations with… More

An effort to demonstrate an all dielectric optical magnetometer of high sensitivity is proposed. the concept is based upon the detection of magnetic field induced birefringence in a paramagnetic material having a high verdet constant. the proposed sensor relies on the use of an optra developed… More

Optra has previously demonstrated that in-plane surface motions of a non-cooperative object can be measured remotelyand precisely by a 2-frequency hene laser probe. optra proposes to further research this technique for the real-time monitoring of very high surface velocities and motions as found in… More

Space weapons fire control requires that the final weapon aim point be predicted with a precision in the tens of nanoradians range. this requires that the angular coordinates of the tracking or designating seeker be measured, transmitted and repeated with similar precision. classic approaches for… More

Optra proposes a non-contact technique for the measurement of thermal expansion. the technique is optical and is based on the use of a 2-frequency hene laser. no special preparation of the test part is required, and the measurement can be made through the window of a vacuum chamber. the theoretical… More

Optra inc., intends to demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the density of mamalian cells in bioreactor suspension cultures with the use of an optical sensor for on-line monitoring. the proposed optical system will operate by detecting the intensity of the light diffracted by the cells in the… More

To make a michelson interferometer spectrometer viable at short and very short optical wavelengths requires a superb metrology system capable of acquiring and maintaining alignment between mirrors to a small fraction of the wavelength. optra has demonstrated that in the infra-red part of the… More

An improved laser doppler technique to monitor eye attitude using an optra developed 2-frequency he ne laser is proposed. the heterodyne approach makes it possible to unambiguously measure eye attitude by integrating the doppler shift of light scattered off the cornea or sclera. the high sensitivity… More

Existing methods in cell culture for monitoring population growth and for localizing and quantifying cellular biomolecules require harvesting of cells, extensive handlingand usually result in cell death. these limitations must beovercome if cell culture applications are to be realized in… More

This project concerns a method for very rapidly obtaining complete and accurate digital contour information (i.e., dimensional profiling) for diffusely reflecting objects. the proposed technique combines a number of recently developed technologies (high-power laser diodes, ccd-array vidicons,… More

The development of an interferometric surface profilometer is planned. key phase i performance specifications include precision and resolution for steep aspheric surfaces of 2.5nm in surface height measurement, a spatial resolution of 0.2mm, and the ability to handle surface slopes in the range 25… More

The state of the art in precise and accurate measurement of angular displacement represent the culmination of nearly a half century of refinement and evolution of well known optical and electrical techniques. consequently further improvements in a particular performance area generally involve… More

Optra will develop an ultra-high temperature laser extensometer for use with load frame test samples as well as structures in wind tunnels. optra plans to measure strains at 4000 f, although the extensometer will have a capability up to 5500 f-well beyond the capability of any existing strain… More

A demonstration of a technique to actively stabilize the optical alignment of a michelson interferometer spectrometerfor operation in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum is proposed. the technique involves the application of a metrology system based on a two-frequency laser to measure and… More

A demonstration of a technique to measure electric currents in space, based upon a sensing of magnetic field induced circular birefringence in a single mode optical fiber is proposed. the use of low loss single mode optical fiber in a closed loop gives the antenna a high degree of immunity tostray… More

Optra proposes to develop a small laser-based non-contacting instrument for measuring the three cartesian components of the displacement of a surface at a single point of observation. the targeted measurement sensitivity is in the 1 to 10 nanometer range, with a measurement bandwidth of 1 mhz. the… More

Optra will demonstrate a small gage length laser extensometer capability for use with small test pieces and/or fracture analysis. the extensometer will use an array detector technique which will (a) allow simultaneous monitoring of strain at a linear array of points on the surface, and (b) allow… More

Optra will demonstrate an improved temperature measurement system utilizing laser extensometer technology for use in the rapid thermal processing (rtp) of silicon wafers. the system will determine real-time silicon wafer temperatures to 0.1 deg c accuracy and resolution and will have a measurement… More

Establishment of a set of comprehensive test methodologies for directly characterizing strain behavior in graphite fibers and filaments with a non-contacting laser extensometer is proposed. these methods will allow researchers to better calculate elastic modulus, elastic limits, yield points,… More

A corneal profiler is planned, with the following features: long working distance-at least 4 inches; full corneal diameter-10 mm; and accuracy-1/4 diopter resolution. the profiler can be used independent of corneal state, enabling the surgeon to work with corneas wet by tears or dry(er) during… More

The objective of this project is to develop a new type of optical seismometer to be incorporated into a reliable, low-cost, digital accelerograph. the optical seismometer uses newly developed noncontact displacement-sensing technology to monitor the relative motions of a seismic mass. the new sensor… More

This proposal describes a non-contacting sensor for measuring the distance between articles located in a hypersonic wind tunnel. the sensor size is 5-inches long x 0.1-inch diameter and its resolution is 0.002 -inch. the basic principle used is phase sensitive optical radar: a laser diode is… More

Optra proposes the development of a laser doppler fuel flowmeter with zero pressure drop. the sensor will use a technique similar to conventional laser doppler velocimetry (ldv) to directly measure fluid velocity at the center of the fuel line. the non-intrusive sensor uses a solid state laser diode… More

We propose to carry out research leading to the development of a stabilized laser diode which can be locked to the frequency of any atomic or molecular absorption line lying within the tuning range of the diode. water vapor is a particularly convenient source of an abundant number of absorption… More

Enhancements to a non-contacting, laser based extensometer for real-time measurements of biaxial strain on composites, plastics, metals, ceramics, and a variety of other materials including elastomers are proposed. these enhancements will enable researchers to study multi-axial strain behavior (i.e.… More

As feature sizes in semiconductor lithography approach the 0.1 micron level, existing metrology techniques are being pushed beyond their limit. the high resolution metrology needed for step-and repeat lithography and mask inspection and quality control has relied on 2-frequency laser interferometry.… More

The proposed program will begin the development of a new magneto-encep halogram (meg) sensor applicable to the detection of gravity induced loss of consciousness (g-loc) in fighter pilots. optra will apply several recently developed technologies to measure the small fluctuating magnetic fields… More

OPTRA has identified an approach for using Integrated Phase Modulators (IPM) to optically measure voltages in an anechoic chamber which is unique, innovative and superior to any other method currently in use. We propose the use of an IPM to phase shift the two propagation eigen-modes of a highly… More

Phase i consists of a research and development program to demonstrate the feasibility of stabilizing the frequency of an inexpensive diode laser to within 1 mhz of the center of an atomic absorption line. a key to the approach will be the use of a frequency discriminator based on the zero-crossing… More

A highly precise remote measurement system for the purpose of dynamically maintaining the figure of submillimeter-wave radio telescope reflectors is being developed. such structures are normally distorted by the combined effects of wind forces and differential thermal expansion. the result of such… More

Optra proposes to develop a very high precision phasemeter for use with heterodyne interferometry. it is based on two innovations: a proposed polarfash phase-to-digital converter, and a high-speed 3-phase demodulator which takes the measurement and reference signals from the heterodyne… More

This research will lead to a new non-invasive technique for measuring intraocular distances. Thiswill provide such data as cornea thickness, ocular lens thickness, cornea-to-retina distance and, possibly,the thickness of the retina. These data may be provided as a function of direction relative to a… More

OPTRA proposes to demonstrate a novel approach to the detection, amplification and transmission of low level detector signals from cryogenic detectors. Essential elements of the proposed work are 1) A cooled optical waveguide phase modulator that imposes a phase modulation proportional to a detector… More

Optra proposes to develop an innovative set of fiber optic sensors suitable for use in monitoring commercial aircraft turbine engines. the sensor system will utilize a common electro-optic transmitter/receiver/signal processor (eo module) and fiber optic link. three different sensor heads will be… More

Researchers are developing an innovative magnetic field sensing technique that achieves very high sensitivity for earth surveying applications, but unlike all competing squid technologies, does not require any cooling. the new magnetometer uses newly developed optical materials and interferometric… More

OPTRA proposes to investigate the sesign of an optical front end for a receiver that converts ultra wide dynamic range, broadband, VLF to HF radio signals into a digital representation and with no loss of significance or resolution. Essential elements of the design are 1) an integrated optical… More

OPTRA will demonstrate the feasibility of stabilizing the wavelength and frequency of a 1.6 micron laser diode to an accuracy of 1 part in 109 (200 kHz). Key to the approach is the use of a frequency discriminator based on the zero phase point of the anomalous dispersion curve of a gas absorption… More

Probe positioning systems are the limiting factor in scanning probe microscrope performance. Scanning tips are typically positioned by a cylindrical piezoelectric scanner with slow response time and limited precision. OPTRA is proposing an improved sample positioning system that would eliminate the… More

The development of a Fourier transform spectrometer with a minimum number of moving parts (or more ideally no moving parts - the so-called stationary spectrometer) has been the subject of considerable research and development. Recent work on a birefringence based system has resulted in the… More

40467 OPTRA, Inc. More detailed atmospheric data and a better understanding of atmospheric chemistry are important to gauge what effects energy sources contribute to pollution problems, such as the ¿greenhouse effect.¿ This project will demonstrate the feasibility of sensing water vapor… More

OPTRA proposes to develop a high resolution, high stiffness, optically based force transducer. The use of an optical transducer allows the sensor to operate with both metallic and non-metallic targets. The sensor would offer a resolution on the order of 1 nm, with dynamic range of several… More

A critical component to the overall performance of the diffractometer is the rotary positioning system. Accurate positioning of the source and detector with respect to the specimen and minimization of the "sphere error" is essential for characterization of multilayers and new X-ray powder standard… More

The development of a high-speed, very accurate XY stage for semiconductor lithography is proposed. Key features are: a grid-based metrology system which is immune to turbulence and has subnanometer resolution; a high-speed, light-weight XY stage capable of supporting 12" wafers, and including… More

OPTRA is proposing the development of an all-reflecting stationary Fourier transform spectrometer, based on the use of Fresnel mirrors and a linear uncooled amorphous silicon microbolometer array to produce spectra in the 1 to 5 micron region with resolution of 5nm. Concentration, temperature and… More

OPTRA is proposing the development of a spectrometer system to measure optical radiation in the 8 to 12 micron spectral range with 8 cm(-1) resolution. The device design is based on a closed loop controlled scanning Fabry-Perot spectrometer that utilizes a spectrally consistent thermal radiation… More

Not Available The need to support collaborative development efforts in the field of modeling and simulation is widely recognized. Although recently developed technologies and systems address this issue, a large number of legacy systems and applications are still in use throughout DoD that are… More

Not Available A key problem with the Internet is the slowness with which the underlying IP protocol can evolve. Though this protocol is very successful, there are many things for which it is not well suited, and a variety of efforts have been initiated to revise the standard to address these… More

OPTRA, Inc., is proposing a low-resolution ( 15 nm) Fresnel sapphire split-prism spectrometer specifically tailored to the identification of molecular species present in the emissions from an engine source. The proposed approach will examine the 3-5.5 ¿m spectral region, allowing for the… More

The goal of this Phase II program is to design, build, test, and deliver a compact, rugged, Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometer system. This system will be able to work in the information-rich 8 to 13 micron region with a 16cm-1spectral resolution. This resolution is a… More

The goal of this Phase II program is to design, build, test, and deliver a compact, rugged, Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometer system. This system will be able to work in the information-rich 8 to 13 micron region with a 16cm-1spectral resolution. This resolution is a… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a compact, ruggedized in-line IR particle analyzer for in situ, open-path, particulate matter quantification for gas turbine engines. We offer a novel approach to the in-line particle sizer, employing an IR laser diodeand IR optics that allow for 200x reduction in… More

A technique based on a pair of in-line cesium bromide prisms is proposed for the rapid and reliable steering of a 5-watt laser beam as part of an Infra-Red Counter-Measure system for use in naval aircraft. To steer the beam, both prisms are rotated aboutan axis coincident with the incoming laser… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a novel two-color imaging remote thermographer for skin temperature measurements at large standoffs. This system employs a unique optical layout that separates an infrared image into two spectral channels registeredlaterally on a single uncooled microbolometer… More

OPTRA proposes the development of an open-path PM analyzer based on laser diffraction and using a novel algorithmic technique to extract the particulate size distribution and concentration from the measured scatter pattern. This ruggedized system isdesigned to monitor PM down stream from the… More

We propose the development of a compact laser beam steeringsystem that is specifically designed to meet the Navy's IRCMrequirements. Key features of the beam-steering system willinclude low sensitivity to vibration, the ability tosimultaneously direct beams of different wavelength in thesame… More

We propose the development of a compact laser beam steeringsystem that is specifically designed to meet the Navy's IRCMrequirements. Key features of the beam-steering system willinclude low sensitivity to vibration, the ability tosimultaneously direct beams of different wavelength in thesame… More

The goal of this Phase II effort is to design, build, test, and deliver a prototype two-band remote infrared thermographer capable of accurate skin temperature measurements at large standoffs. This system incorporates the color temperature measurement technique that was validated in the Phase I… More

OPTRA proposes to develop an optical tracking system that is capable of recognizing and tracking up to 50 different objects within an approximately 2 degree x 3 degree field of view. The system output will be 3-dimensional trajectories for each of the objects. The primary function of the system is… More

Optra will build an Advanced 3D Object Identification System utilizing three or more high resolution imagers spaced around a launch platform. Data from each imager will be analyzed in real time using a complex morphological image processing scheme to extract up to 100 objects of interest. These… More

OPTRA proposes to develop an Automated Optical Tracking Capability tailored to NASA's network of optical tracking stations at the Kennedy Space Center. This will be based on target recognition and tracking algorithms that will be developed during Phase I, and tested using a prototype optical… More

We describe a versatile 512 x 512 pixel high-temperature target simulator based on the use of radiation from laser diodes to heat small (~100 micron) graphite chip target elements. By using laser diodes in this manner we can avoid the need to make electrical contact with the target chips, thereby… More

OPTRA is proposing the development of a 3D cloud profiling system that combines an innovative Imaging Open Path Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (I-OPFTIR) with advanced computational tomography algorithms. The proposed technology expands the capability of OP-FTIR systems to 3D profiling… More

OPTRA proposes the development of an imaging open-path Fourier transform infrared (I-OP-FTIR) spectrometer for 3D cloud profiling. The system employs a single modulator and a novel optical configuration which projects an array of angularly dispersed IR beams, each of which exhibits comparable… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a fieldable two-color infrared (IR) source simulator based on fused projected images of two digital micromirror devices (DMDs), one for each IR spectral band. Our approach employs a broadband thermal IR source with a series of spectral filters to flood the DMDs… More

During the Phase I effort, OPTRA developed object detection, tracking, and identification algorithms and successfully tested these algorithms on computer-generated objects of various shapes and sizes and on sample real-world image sequences of a DeltaII booster separation. The algorithms currently… More

Hyperspectral Imaging ,HIS, provides a means for detecting weapons of mass destruction. A core element of a HSI system is a tunable wavelength filter. There is a need for faster tunable wavelength filters than those that currently exist in practice. To address this need, this project will develop… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a two-color IR source simulator based on fused projected images of two digital micromirror devices (DMDs), one for each spectral band. The system employs a broadband IR (thermal) source whose energy is spectrally filtered via a dichroic beamsplitter and bandpass… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a short wave infrared (SWIR) fiber optic Raman imager based on a multiple slit dispersive spectrometer. The key components include imaging optics, a fiber optic bundle, a dispersive element, and a SWIR focal plane array (FPA). The integrated hyperspectral imager… More

OPTRA proposes a high-speed resonant Fourier transform infrared (HSR-FTIR) spectrometer incorporating a multiple pass, reciprocating configuration and a resonant mirror structure to accomplish the scanning. The intended application is time-resolved thermal luminescence (TL) measurements of surface… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a hyperspectral imager based on a grating spectrometer operating in the long-wave infrared region in response to the Air Force's need for an energetic event sensor. The grating multiplexes the use of an imaging array to enable rapid and simultaneous collection of… More

OPTRA proposes the development of an explosive detector comprised of a Risley scanner and a standoff photoacoustic detector for robot-based mobile operation. During the Phase I, OPTRA will be focused on developing demonstration hardware and collecting spectra of explosives samples to demonstrate… More

OPTRA proposes to build a hyperspectral imager based on a long-wave infrared (LWIR) grating spectrometer in response to the Air Force"s need for a flash event sensor. The grating multiplexes the use of an imaging array to enable rapid and simultaneous collection of both spatial and spectral… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a high speed resonant Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer for surface contaminant detection via thermal luminescence. The system will generate 10,000 spectra per second over the 7-14 & #61549;m spectral range at 8 cm-1 spectral resolution; the NESR… More

"OPTRA proposes a Fourier transform phase shift cavity ring down spectroscopy (FT-PS-CRDS) system for high sensitivity detection of air toxic compounds. Our system operates in the 400-4000 cm-1 spectral range wherein lie vapor phase resonance bands for most air toxic compounds and hazardous… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a Fiber Optic Hyperspectral Tracker based on a multiple slit dispersive spectrometer. The key components include imaging optics, a fiber optic bundle, a dispersive element, and a focal plane array (FPA). The integrated hyperspectral imager allows for the… More

OPTRA proposes the development of an explosive detector comprised of a Risley scanner and a standoff photoacoustic detector for robot-based mobile operation. The Risley scanner is a mature technology, which uses a pair of matched prisms to steer a laser beam anywhere inside a cone. OPTRA has… More

Under a 2007 US Navy SBIR solicitation, OPTRA developed a two-color midwave infrared (MWIR) scene projector employing digital micromirror device (DMD) technology. The system employs miniature IR sources and a series of spectral filters to fuse and project spatially identical but spectrally separated… More

OPTRA proposes the development of a compressive imaging Fourier transform infrared (CI-FTIR) spectrometer capable of resolving the 7 to 14 micron spectral range to 4 cm-1 with a projected noise equivalent spectral radiance of 8.810-8 W/(cm2stercm-1) at an approximately 10 Hz measurement bandwidth.… More