Award Data

ABSTRACT: Terahertz (THz) spectroscopies offer unmatched non-contact probing of low-energy excitations underlying electronic transport and magnetism in a wide range of novel materials. To-date, expensive and complex THz Time Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) systems are the most common THz source used in these studies. Lower cost, continuous wave (CW-THz) spectroscopy systems can offer comparable per ...

The objective of the proposed Phase-I effort by Spectral Energies LLC is to design and develop a fiber-coupled hyperspectral LWIR thermal imaging sensor suite for temperature measurements in practical combustors. The proposed sensor suite will be capable of performing spectrally resolved imaging to achieve accurate temperature measurements in practical gas-turbine engines while resolving optical i ...

As both the response speed and sensitivity of thermal imagers have improved significantly over recent years, new IRSP systems are needed to provide greater dynamic range and faster response speeds. Addressing these issues, as well as producing a cost effective and modular IRSP system will be critical for providing quality scene projection for the next generation of infrared imagers. To address the ...

Spectral Energies and the University of Notre Dame is developing a new class of point-wise sensors for high-enthalpy conditions that rely on the use of a weakly ionized AC discharge between two electrodes as the main sensing element. The advantages of this approach include a native high bandwidth with a theoretical maximum in excess of 15 MHz and a simple mechanical design that is inherently robus ...

Recent advances in augmented reality (AR) offer valuable opportunities for simulationbased training outside of a medical simulator facility. The potential benefits for combat casualty care training are particularly powerful, as over 100,000 U.S. military medical personnel must be prepared to quickly respond to a broad range of injuries at any point in time. We propose to develop and evaluate a hig ...

ABSTRACT: Our focus in this proposal is to perform basic research to create bio-inspired 3-D morphing mechanical structures which are a gateway technology to enable true 3-D morphing flight. Prioria and Virginia Tech University will team to perform basic research into bio-inspired structure such as artificial bones/wings/feathers and artificial muscles. Prioria will establish technical feasibility ...

ABSTRACT: The objective of this effort is to develop innovative methods for deriving a sparse set of physical target features that can be used for exploitation of air to ground signature data collected from sensor systems including electro-optical, infrared, and laser radar. Current classification methods require near exact replication of the original imaging parameters, or extensive modeling in ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research phase I program will develop a new class of uncooled THz detectors for the 1-10THz band with a novel design using surface plasmon resonant cavities with integrated metal-insulator-metal tunneling diodes as the detecting element. Tunneling diodes provide ultrafast broadband response, potentially into the visible (300THz), but demonstrated performanc ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer Research phase I program will develop a new class of surface plasmon enhanced photovoltaic devices that exhibit increased current collection. Photon management, the manipulation of the incident optical field to increase the probability that a photon is absorbed in the active region of the cell, is critical to the development of next generation thin film sol ...

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will develop ultradense, low-power plasmonic integration components and devices for on-chip manipulation and processing of optical signals. Both passive and active components will be studied. Detailed performance predictions will be obtained through finite element modeling (FEM) of the harmonic Maxwell’s equations. The FEM provides detai ...