Award Data

To provide the Airborne Laser (ABL) precision ranging and 3-D track refinement capability for the next generation active ranging system (NGARS), Voxtel will develop an avalanche photodiode (APD) receiver. Unlike the original ARS, which uses a 10.6 µm CO2 laser, Voxtel’s InGaAs-based ARS receiver is designed for high-speed photon counting between 1.0 – 1.6 µm. Operation in the short-wave infr ...

Recent and emerging technologies, such as a 3-D LADAR tracker with precise target detection, tracking, and aimpoint imaging could make significant gains for ABL’s capabilities. Solid state avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are a rugged, fully-monolithic detector technology well suited for LADAR focal plane arrays (FPAs). In the past, Geiger mode APD operation has been preferred for tasks requiring se ...

In this Phase II program, a high-performance, rad-hard, high-functionality, back-illuminated, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS, Agile, Multi-functional-Pixel, Imager optimized sensor chip assembly (SCAMP SCA) will be developed and characterized for demanding spaceborne imaging applications, including high-functionality, environmentally robust star-tracking. The SCAMP SCA will include high performa ...

In this program, Voxtel will demonstrate SOI-CMOS imagers for high-performance star tracking applications. Fabricating CMOS imagers on SOI wafers, allows the device and detector layers to be separated with an insulating layer, so each can be individually optimized and operated with separate ground returns. High QE and high MTF come from backside illumination and depleting the entire volume of dete ...

A highly reliable InAlAs/InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD) focal plane array (FPA) will be developed to replace the electron-bombarded charge-coupled device (EBCCD) camera presently used for Airborne Laser (ABL) wavefront sensing applications. Based on technology with a nominal lifetime of 105 hours of continuous operation, Voxtel’s monolithic solid-state architecture is both more manufacturable ...

Multi-axis fiber grating strain sensors may be used to localize and qualitatively identify the degree of damage in composite parts. Signatures associated with delaminations and damage tow material are significantly different for strain imaging produced data. This Phase I project is directed toward improving the quantitative measurement capability of "strain imaging" methods through experiments, ...

Missile defense battle management is an inherently distributed process, involving sensors, weapons, and targets that are distributed over a region spanning thousands of miles. While most agents need some sense of "distant events", they neither need nor can afford detailed, high-fidelity models of the entire situation. CleverSet's approach to distributed battle management is based in variable reso ...

The feasibility of using AlGaInAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operated in linear mode as high-frame- rate solid state wavefront and tracking sensor elements capable of detecting single photons will be established. The small contrast between electron and hole ionization coefficients in common III-V compound semiconductors like AlGaInAs would normally prohibit their use in photon-counting APDs owin ...

Photonic devices providing high performance spectral filtering, multiplexing, optical waveform processing, and signal routing will be designed, fabricated, and characterized. The devices are based on photolithographic scribing of holographic structures onto the surface of planar waveguides and operate on intra-guide signals. The holographic structures provide a manufacturable approach to 2D phot ...

The development of highly reliable, very high speed telemetry systems is critical for improving the capability of ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems. The objective of this project is to continue the development of telemetry radios based on m-ary variable shift keying (MVSK) technology, which offers more robust performance, exceptional immunity to interference (including intentional jamming), ...