Award Data

A fast-pulsed (3-15ns FWHM) high-current (>500A) driver for high power diode lasers or laser arrays is proposed. Present high-current diode drivers typically use MOSFET switches to modulate the current. It is difficult to achieve very fast pulses with such devices because the inherent capacitance of the gate electrode cannot be charged and discharged quickly. Lower current, but faster diode driver ...

Sensors, capacitors, and conducting features such as resistors and capacitors on circuit boards are produced from metal and ceramic powders 1-12 These powders are manufactured by liquid phase precipitation routes which often start with reduction of metal salts or by solid-state routes where solid reactants are mixed, heated and then milled. The solid-state processing is generally repeated several ...

Optomec Design Company proposes to use Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENSTM), a Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing (RP&M) technology currently under development at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), as a new method for integrating instrumentation (e.g., embedded sensors) into metal structural components. SNL has demonstrated the ability of the LENSTM technology to produce near net shape stainles ...

Recent research has demonstrated a number of new optical processes based on the interaction of temporally structured light beams with spectrally-selective recording materials. One of these all-optical processes provides for the ultrahigh speed, temporal-waveform-controlled, spatial routing of optical beams (time-to-space conversion). Propagation of an optical data stream through an entirely passiv ...

Recent laboratory demonstrations have shown that time-domain persistent spectral holeburning memory can achieve record areal densities and density-bandwidth products. The same work has shown that many kilobits of data can be spectrally multiplexed within single spatial storage locations. These factors, taken together, open the door to an entirely new class of optical data storage, i.e., read/write ...

Glass is an attractive material for microelectronic packaging because it is hermetically sealing, has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and is compatible with d.c. circuits. Unfortunately, the working temperature of glass is too high for this application. Low-temperature processing of a sol-gel derived, aluminosilicate material for hermetic seals is proposed for electronic packaging. This ...

Breathable release coatings that can withstand processing conditions up to 750F are needed for use on ceramic tooling. In situ removal of volatiles in solvent-based composite processing is a critical issue that will enable production of high quality parts at lower cost per part. Current release coatings meet neither the temperature nor the solvent transport requirements of solvent-based composit ...

Rocket motors that develop greater thrust with lower weight and volume require-ments are an ever present goal of the BMDO. One method of providing this is through formulation of higher energy propellant mixtures. TPL proposes to develop a new method of effectively producing new high perfor-mance propellant constituents for launch, orbit-orbit transfer and station keeping propulsion systems. The p ...

The objective of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of spray forming aluminum Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) in the solid-state physical form as a light weight structural material. It is anticipated that this innovative manufacturing process will provide opportunities to fabricate near-net-shape spacecraft and interceptor structures with unique material properties. The process called S ...

WE PROPOSE TO SEARCH FOR NEW SUPERCONDUCTORS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THE PEROVSKITE-BASED HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS (HTS), BUT WITH THE OXYGEN REPLACED BY A CHALCOGEN, THAT IS SULFUR, SELENIUM OR TELLURIUM. WE BELIEVE THAT THE HTS COPPER OXIDES ARE NOT A UNIQUE ACCIDENT OF NATURE, BUT THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMPLEX CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS THAT COULD ALSO BE SUPERCONDUCTING. AN OBVIOUS PLACE TO LOOK WO ...