Award Data

Physical Sciences will develop an imaging infrared spectroradiometer based on the use of single order Fabry-Perot interferometry. An IR focal plane array views the center of the interference pattern, which contains the image of the object at the transmission wavelength. Piezoelectric transducers, synchronized with the framing rate of the array, move the interferometer mirrors to change the transmi ...

Potential advantages of pulsed electrodeless inductive thrusters over other types of electric thrusters include an ultra-low erosion rate, long lifetime, and capability of operating over a wide range of power levels. Performance of present inductive thrusters is hindered by the lack of reliable, efficient pulsed-power technology. Science Research Laboratory has developed novel all-solid-state puls ...

Spire's program will develop a high energy density, long life power source for space applications such as Brilliant Pebbles and Brilliant Eyes. The essential element of the proposed device consists of a radioisotope powered indium phosphide voltaic cell that can achieve an energy density over ten thousand times greater than that of chemical batteries. In past attempts to develop radioisotope power ...

Diode lasers are great, but not temperature stable. Keeping the frequency constant, essential for communications, requires exotic (read expensive) heavy cooling systems. Investigators at Spire think they have a better way: build a laser diode whose frequency is naturally stable, as in ionic lasers such as neodymium doped YAG. Spire reasons that adding erbium to the quantum well of conventional AlG ...

A capacitor storing a thousand times more energy than is possible today is the carrot offered by this Spire Corporation proposal. To get there, Spire will exploit its ability to grow exotic thin-film dielectric layers by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Everything has to go just right, but if it does, large-area one-micron thick films with kilovolt holdoff will result; that's tens o ...

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This program will develop a method of growing bulk ternary compound semiconductors of uniform composition. The target material of In(1-x)Ga(x)As was chosen because of its immediate use in the growth and fabrication of very high speed HEMT devices. The method should be applicable to other ternary compounds, giving a new field of "substrate engineering" to complement the "bandgap engineering" at pre ...