Award Data

Sensor development researchers and engineers have perpetually sought novel methods to reduce sensor size and improve performance. Continued miniaturization of sensors through micromachining has enabled novel applications and introduced new paradigms for engineered systems to interact with the world. The challenge has always been to improve performance while continually reducing size. In the curren ...

The goal of this program is to develop devices that can detect small electric fields over large frequency ranges while being compact and power efficient. We propose an electro-optic resonant plasmon that enhances the electro-optic phase shift in a small volume (

The Air Force has a strategic need for a fuel source that is renewable (and which does not rely on foreign petroleum sources). Several approaches to a renewable fuel source have been investigated; with “artificial photosynthesis” being one example. At its core, the photosynthesis reaction is a photoinduced charge separation reaction with light being concentrated by antenna complexes onto a c ...

Ziva Corporation in collaboration with UCSB will assess the feasibility of developing a directly modulated polarization switching laser based on the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) geometry with a 3dB frequency of at least 10 GHz. This will be a major breakthrough in the ability to cost effectively fabricate directly modulated lasers (even in 2-D arrays) with polarization diversity ...

ABSTRACT: The proposed research will demonstrate feasibility of a high temperature insulating, load bearing thermal protection system (TPS) using a hybrid composite technology. This program will incorporate a hierarchically porous ceramic core material in a sandwich structure with a conventional polymer matrix composite (PMC) and ceramic matrix composite (CMC) to fabricate an enhanced TPS. This m ...

SciTec and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) propose a multi-scale simulation architecture for generating optical signatures from missile intercept debris clouds based on output from hydrocode tools developed at SNL while furthering optical data exploitation from the library of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (ABMD) intercept test. This will require developing data-driven relationships for match ...

The goal of the Phase I project is to develop a COTS system into a modular unit for detection, tracking and classification of large marine organisms such as manatees and turtles. The Kongsberg Mesotech M3 Sonar is a 500 kHz multibeam that can resolve objects as far as 150 m. This compact system has been tested to detect Florida manatees by Dr. Kevin Boswell and will be used by well qualified marin ...

Decision making is driven by context. Context can be hard to operationalize and harness to the design of decision support systems. Modern military task displays often omit important context which can lead to singificant errors. This problem is exemplified in undersea warfare and specifically contact management for safe littoral navigation. In littoral navigation, workload may be high and team memb ...

Warfighters face overwhelmingly complex and uncertain situations in which they must make life-and- death decisions. Today"s information systems often overwhelm decision makers still further. Attention to results of cognitive science can contribute to the design of a new generation of systems that are far more helpful: based on knowledge of user roles, tasks, and context, systems can help proactive ...

Turbine efficiency improves with increased operating temperature. Consequently, the rim zone of disks operates at high temperatures where creep is the main concern. The bore and web zones operate at lower temperatures, where strength is the driving design criterion. Procedures to produce disks that can meet both demands include dual heat-treatment and hybrid disks. A thin transition zone forms in ...