Award Data

Military applications, such as IRCM (Infrared Countermeasures) and stand-off sensing, require highly efficient optical sources with power outputs for room temperature continuous wave operation of several to a hundred watts in the 3-5 micron and 8-12 micron spectral bands. While quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have become the sources of choice in these spectral regions, the only realistic option to ...

An eye-safe optically pumped laser based on a gas-filled hollow optical fiber will be demonstrated to lase at both near infrared (IR) and mid IR wavelengths. These lasers will be the first in a new class of IR lasers, based on the combination of hollow-f

Prime Research and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte propose to devevelop space-variant nano-optical elements to integrate passive spectral and polarization filters directly into infrared focal plane arrays. This novel technology will enable multi-mode detection by allowing pixels to be uniquely tuned for wavelength and polarization across a focal plane array using a simple fabricatio ...

Quallion and the University of South Carolina propose to continue their modeling efforts to develop a more comprehensive LEO simulation model to encompass more varied satellite conditions to meet USG (United States Government) modeling needs.

Compelling applications of infrared ultrafast lasers—ranging from ship self defense and aircraft self defense, to medical and micromachining applications—have defined a critical performance point at about one millijoule per pulse from a reliable and robust portable laser system with high average power. Increasing amplifier efficiency is a critical need in order to reach high average powers nee ...

Ultrafast laser technology offers compelling capabilities for national defense, state-of-the-art health care, and the materials processing industry. The development of this technology into commercial form factor hardware has been limited mostly by the size, cost, complexity, and/or pulse energy limitations of current ultrafast laser systems. Optical fiber based ultrafast lasers have dramatically d ...

We propose to conduct a feasibility study for utilizing broadband sampling of the diffusive noise field in a dynamic environment. In ambient noise studies, the ability to resolve a wavefield is proportional to its time-bandwidth (TB) product. In a dynamic environment such as in the atmosphere or ocean, the nature of the impinging wave field is changing rapidly so that only short time segments can ...

Recent years have seen a shift in threats to US national security. Today increasing focus for national security is management of terrorist activities. Deliberately exposing a civilian population to chemicals and explosives to cause harm represents a looming terrorist threat. Early detection and identification is a difficult but essential element to minimizing the threat. The Seacoast Science/U ...

SET Corporation, together with Carnegie Mellon University''s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC), will develop a system that leverages state-of-the-art sensing, perception, and machine learning to provide trafficability assessments for UGVs for agricultural, security and military applications. It will consist of a set of proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensors that provide rich data about ...

Gallium Nitride (GaN) substrates are ideal materials for fabrication of high-power and high-frequency devices based on III-V materials. The current state-of-the-art Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) methods are plagued by several challenges, including, surface charge affects due to surface contamination, and sub-surface damages, which can limit the quality of III-V devices. Furthermore, there is ...