Award Data

This proposal will outline a bi-directional software defined Free Space Optics (FSO) laser communications testbed with flexible optical elements and reprogrammable waveform and signal processing elements. Vulcan Wireless Inc. currently manufacturers a 1550nm, eye safe, software defined Laser Communications Testbed MD-LC-1 and will use this as a basis for the Phase 1 effort. We will also be teaming ...

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 project will develop and validate a geometry scalable CNTFET compact model for HF circuit design and extract the model parameters from the measured characteristics of the fabricated devices. The ballistic and quasi-ballistic transport, quantum and parasitic effects will be accounted for the predicted performance will be compared to 130 nm RF Si-CMOS to determine the conditions for breaking eve ...

In this proposal, Bluecom Systems proposes to develop a framework in designing and manufacturing smart materials that can be used as adaptive radiating structures to operate at different frequencies, with different radiation patterns, and achieve polarization diversity. The solution proposed, based on optically pixilated Silicon or GaAs surfaces, can be used as reflective surfaces for reconfigurab ...

Through the proposed Phase I Air Force STTR program, NanoSonic and Virginia Tech will demonstrate metal organic framework materials and electrospray fabrication methods for the manufacture of eye protection devices that are capable of controlling the amount of light transmitted through the device. The objective of this program is to 1) increase the dynamic range and speed of electronically switche ...

Adaptive Optics allow ground-based astronomical observatories to overcome atmospheric distortion limited observation by using natural and artificial guide stars to measure the distortion. Sodium-layer guide stars provide near all-sky coverage for high resolution astronomy. Over the last 20 years, Optically Pumped Semiconductor Laser (OPSL), also referred to as Vertically Extended Cavity Surface Em ...

Over the past 2 years, Roccor has successfully qualified and delivered High Strain Composite (HSC) products for space-flight customers including, 1) RF-Furlable boom, 2) a furlable-antenna system; and is currently qualifying HSC products for space-flight customers including 3) an FCC certified deorbit device, and 4) a solar array deployment system. Three of these missions will be launched in 2018. ...

We will develop hybrid wave propagation approach that implements FFT and EMA (Efficient Matrix Algorithms) propagators in a fashion that is transparent to the user but insures the highest efficiency and accuracy for a given propagation problem. We will develop rules to decide which propagation approach is ideal for a given situation. The propagation algorithms will be coded in Vulkan/CUDA and C++ ...

Current scene projection hardware is challenged to simultaneously meet the requirements for high peak temperature (> 2000K), high resolution (> 1Kx1K), response time < 1 ms, cryogenic and temporally uniform photon flux. MEMS, Resistor arrays, liquid crystals, and photonic crystals all suffer in one or more areas. MEMS suffer from flicker and low dynamic range. Resistor arrays suffer from low frame ...

Current fielded sensor protection is limited to fixed wavelength filters. Broadband filters designed to circumvent multi-wavelength laser threats are plagued by low transmittance, which degrades the sensitivity and performance of the sensor. Future warfighter threats include frequency agile lasers and thus have the potential of defeating fixed filters. Self-activating (passive) devices where prote ...