Award Data

This proposal describes a new optical phase-shifter technology incorporating analog ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) materials. This technology will be used to produce a phased-array beamsteerer that can be reconfigured in under 100 microseconds. Due to the analog behavior, the device promises high diffraction efficiency and low sidelobe amplitude. Because FLC materials are used, rapid switchi ...

Spectrally and spatially coherent, high pulse energy, tunable mid-IR sources remain elusive. Solid-State and semiconductor lasers do not operate over the 1.5 to 5 micron wavelength range, leaving laser-pumped frequency converters, such as Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs), as the most viable technology. Achieving high conversion efficiency and continuous tunability in rugged OPOs has present ...

The development of graphite fibers with thermal conductivities along the fiber of greater than 1000 W/m degree K have allowed composites to reach in-plane thermal conductivities (11, k22) of 300 to 660 W/m degree K. These conductivities are two to four times those of the aluminum alloys currently used for spacecraft structure. However, the composites have very low thermal conductivit ...

Data Fusion Corporation (DFC) proposed the development of radiometric invariants for automated target recognition (ATR) using thermal imagery in Phase I, together with SAR imagery in Phase II. This development will complement DFC's current efforts for exploiting geometric invariants for targeting and ATR. This effort exploits the concept of thermal invariants and thermal history constra ...

Advanced, smart pixel spatial light modulators (SLMs) should be able to simultaneously accept multiple two-dimensional inputs (e.g. images or control signals), and be able to produce multi-state or fully analog two-dimensional optical outputs. Furthermore, the wavefront quality of the optical outputs must meet the standards required by coherent light optical systems. Displaytech has extensive ex ...

The objective of this project is to design a fractual object based image database system which enables video insertion into real time simulation systems. A cost/benefit analysis of the design will be performed to determine the utility of implementing the design in Phase II. Requirements for the Fractal Object Database System will be determined in consultation with the Sponsor and from interactio ...

Electronics shielding weight savings of 30 percent for Air Force spacecraft are possible using composite materials instead of aluminum boxes and aluminum skin. Designs balancing polymer matrix materials and high atomic number materials will be generated for Air Force missions in various orbits. Composite materials will be fabricated and then tested to verify radiation hardness and shielding of e ...

At the end of Phase I a software code implementing a prototype version of a system for real-time analysis of electromagnetic wave propagating in space and along the surface of an aircraft will be delivered. The computations will be performed on a virtual aircraft representing an actual aircraft in electronic format. The delivered prototype version will be capable of performing in rea ...

The low power of the GPS satellite makes these signals particularly susceptible to jamming. The best anti-jamming (A/J) performance demonstrated with a GPS receiver to date has been through the use of nulling antennas. Adaptive nulling electronics have been designed that can support J/S margins of up to 98 dB. Because of physical size limitations, the use of antenna arrays have been restricted ...

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