You are here

Efficient, Tunable Terahertz Source

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA9550-06-C-0142
Agency Tracking Number: F064-006-0457
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: AF06-T006
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2007
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-08-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2007-05-01
Small Business Information
201 Circle Drive North, Unit # 102
Piscataway, NJ 08854
United States
DUNS: 787144807
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Catherine Rice
 Scientist
 (732) 302-9274
 cerice@structuredmaterials.com
Business Contact
 Gary Tompa
Title: President
Phone: (732) 302-9274
Email: gstompa@structuredmaterials.com
Research Institution
 UNIV. OF WISCONSIN
 Diane Barrett
 
Research & Sponsored Programs
Madison, WI 53706
United States

 (608) 262-0252
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

Future battlefield systems will require new levels of performance from optical components. In particular, there is a strong need for efficient, high-power terahertz (THz) sources and detectors. The lack of sufficiently powerful, compact sources and detectors in the 0.3 to 30 THz range has so far drastically limited development in defense imaging, homeland security and medical imaging applications, among others. In this STTR program we propose to develop and demonstrate a novel tunable THz source with unprecedented efficiency. The new technology is based on an engineered material currently under development at Structured Materials Industries (SMI) and the University of Wisconsin (UW). Detailed modeling indicates an improvement of several orders of magnitude in power conversion efficiency over current state-of-the-art designs, with estimated average power in the mW range or higher. In this STTR, this unique material will be combined with a rotatable photonic crystal to enable broad tunability. In Phase I we will fabricate a laboratory prototype of the tunable THz source and test its properties to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach. In Phase II the material and device design will be refined and developed for practical THz sources and detectors, which will be manufactured in Phase III.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government