Award Data

The research objective is to develop a tunable spatially-varying photonic crystal (SVPC) to achieve the optical propagation properties (reflection and transmission) of the light through the designed structure for the visible and near IR-bands. The light from this SVPC will be able to focus and bend as a function of the spatial variation of the refractive index, input angle, and state of polarizati ...

ABSTRACT: Feature extraction and target recognition suffer from a lack of a reliable model for both exploitable target features and the electromagnetic signature they possess. Signature data are often hard to interpret and invert to recover the target robustly. Bayesian learning approaches to statistical pattern recognition are based on the use of training sets of inputs and outputs, a data mode ...

ABSTRACT: Current and projected limitations on the maximum power from a high power single mode fiber laser amplifier impose architectural limitations on a high power phased array laser weapon system. Prior studies strongly indicate that when faced with this limitation the optimal approach is (to borrow the term for Paul McManamon) a Phased Array of Phased Arrays (PAPA) geometry wherein large(r) ...

This project will address the U.S. Air Force needs for single-piece, electronically dimmable eye protection device (EDEPD). In Phase I, InnoSense LLC (ISL) will demonstrate feasibility of the approach by incorporating electrochromic layer on curved polycarbonate substrates. Phase I tests will include optical and physical characterizations regarding transmission range, switching speed, haze, unifor ...

The proposed work aims at detailed investigation of Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistor (CNTFET) device design and its impact on Radio-frequency (RF) circuit performance in comparison to Si-MOSFETs and related circuits at the same channel lengths. The goal is to establish a geometry scalable CNTFET compact model for RF circuit design and determine its parameters based on characteristics from b ...

Large ground-based telescopes require adaptive optics (AO) to correct for distortions introduced by atmospheric turbulence. In order to function, the AO system must track a bright point source. Although a natural star may be used, full sky coverage requires an artificial beacon created with a laser. The most common type of laser guide star (LGS) employs the mesospheric layer of sodium atoms at an ...

New, innovative laser spectroscopy technology will be developed for performance quantification and combustion characterization in a Rotational Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE). The effort will push the state of the art in tunable laser absorption spectroscopy to enable fast time response diagnostics of the extreme pressure and temperature conditions of an RDRE.

ABSTRACT: To address the Air Force need for an adaptive optics system using a fiber laser array as the spatial phase correction system within the subaperature of an array of discrete telescopes, Optonicus and The University of Dayton propose the development of a new Scalable Adaptive Fiber-Array Elements (SAFARE) system. The integration of new fiber-array architectures with novel imaging and ada ...

ABSTRACT: There has been a growing interest and increased R & D activities in applying THz technology to biomedical, security, communications and science/manufacturing imaging, etc. However, even with all these research activities, there are very limited choices of test and measurement instruments in the THz range. Despite wide availability of RF/microwave (below THz) and optical (above THz) netw ...

ABSTRACT: The proposed work aims to build a physics-based rapid turnaround simulation capability for resolving combustion dynamics in liquid rocket engines operating at trans-critical and supercritical flow regimes. The methodology will explore both Reduced-Order Methods and Reduced-Basis Methods as potential candidates for efficient unsteady flow simulation, data storage and retrieval, and data ...