Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
A Compact, Waveguide Based Programmable Optical Comb Generator, Phase I
Project Description
This NASA Phase I STTR effort will establish the feasibility of developing a compact broadband near to mid-IR programmable optical comb for use in laser based remote sensing and communications. The comb generator will use a waveguide-based optical parametric gain block technology that can have ultra wideband (>250nm) operation with very high gain (>25dB) in a very compact footprint. This approach is enabled by advances both in waveguide processing and in substrate growth, which allows for fabrication of complex waveguide structures to be formed in commercially available large-diameter nonlinear optical substrates. Optical comb sources are increasing the achievable sensitivity and system performance for a range of applications including gas sensing, optical communications, frequency metrology, precision spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography and thus directly addresses NASA's mission to advance remote sensing measurements to improve the scientific understanding of the Earth specified in 2009 STTR call: T4.01 Lidar, Radar and Passive Microwave.
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Anticipated Benefits
Enabling features of the proposed technology include an all-fiber footprint with fast, reconfigurable capability for arbitrary frequency grid synthesis in both the near and mid-IR spectral regions. Potential commercial applications include gas sensing, precision spectroscopy, frequency metrology, monitoring and optimization of combustion processes, multi-channel source for fiber and free space communication systems, medical diagnostics such as spectroscopy-based disease diagnosis and optical coherence tomography. Integrated waveguide components play a key role in many NASA systems. Multi-element components such as quasi-phase matching and phase modulation are efficient approaches for laser doubling and would be suitable for iodine locking (ACE) and O2 detection (ASCENDS). Additionally, the Parametric Gain block itself can be used to generate 3-5μm communications signals derived from 1550nm communications signals through parametric amplification, which would be beneficial to Free-Space Optical Communications at the Optical Communications Group at JPL. Finally, the compact programmable optical comb would be useful for advanced remote technology for precision spectroscopy and remote sensing of trace gas.
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Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADVR, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Bozeman, Montana |
Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Greenbelt, Maryland |
| Stanford University (Stanford) | Supporting Organization | Academia | Stanford, California |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
California
-
Maryland
-
Montana
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.