Mapping Strain in Composite Materials using Terahertz Metamaterials

Triton Systems, Inc., in partnership with the University of Alabama and with the support of Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will design, build, and test the Triton Composite Optical Strain Mapping Integrated Control (COSMIC) System, a combination of (i) terahertz (THz) metamaterial reflectors applied to composite panels that converts linearly polarized light to circularly polarized based on the degree of mechanical strain, and (ii) a handheld optical instrument to rapidly and nondestructively map the current or historical strain of large-area composite panels. The Triton COSMIC System is a transformative approach to assess the health of composite panels on a variety of military platforms with unprecedented speed, spatial resolution, and strain sensitivity. By predicting and detecting regions of incipient failure with greater precision, operating times can be extended, and platform operational readiness can be increased.