Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Solid State Transmitters for Water Vapor and Ozone DIAL Systems, Phase II
Project Description
The focus of this Select Phase II program is to build and deliver laser components both for airborne water vapor and ozone DIAL systems. Specifically, Fibertek proposes to deliver to NASA the following prototype systems: 1) A complete water vapor DIAL transmitter with single-line output tunable over the 936 nm water vapor line, 2) A wavelength converter for ozone DIAL compatible with the GOLD (Global Ozone Lidar Demonstrator) pump laser, with an output on two lines between 300 and 320 nm. Fibertek has developed a common architecture for wavelength converters for both water vapor and ozone DIAL applications. Use of common technology allows us to economically manufacture components for both applications that are compatible with provide improved performance from instruments planned or previously developed by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The laser systems delivered will provide NASA with the critical components needed for a new generation of airborne lidar sensors for measurement of stratospheric and upper tropospheric species central to improved weather forecasting and understanding of global climatology. The laser systems developed also provide a stepping-stone to space-based sensors – utilizing components and architectures that are scalable and traceable to space based operations.
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Anticipated Benefits
NASA and commercial remote sensing systems for long-lived airborne and space-based DIAL instruments. The high efficiency narrow linewidth, tunable sources being developed in this SBIR meet an unfilled need form our existing customer base and new customers. State-or-the-art airborne and UAV based DIAL systems for high-altitude and space-based measurements. This program will provide laser technology that is commercially unavailable to NASA and enable the development of a highly desired instrument for measuring global water vapor and ozone concentration in support of atmospheric modeling and climatology. Transition to space-based missions supported by the Decadal Survey such as ACE and ASCENDS. The development of an airborne system is a critical step in technology maturation and position Fibertek to offer laser transmitters for future space missions. The prototype UV converter developed under this Phase II program will reduce the technical risk for manufacture of low-cost converter systems for ground-based ozone DIAL. An architecture mating a relatively low-cost commercial pump laser with the specialized UV converters developed under this SBIR program offers a viable path to establishing a broadly-based network of sensors for ground based ozone sensing. Our primary non-NASA application is for spin-off of the innovations into other products. These include underwater lidar for the Navy and 3D imaging ladar for all services. The non-linear technology will find application in sensor systems from UV (explosive and cnem.-bio. detection) to the Mid IR ( remote sensing through obscurants). We will be actively marketing the technology developed under this NASA SBIR to all of these potential customers and applications
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Project Library
Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibertek, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Herndon, Virginia |
Langley Research Center
(LaRC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Hampton, Virginia |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Virginia
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