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TUNABLE BIREFRINGENT FILTERS USING LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENTS

Award Information

Agency:
National Science Foundation 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
10657 		Program Year/Program:
1990 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
10657 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
CAMBRIDGE RESEARCH AND INSTRUMENTATION
CAMBRIDGE RESEARCH AND INSTRUMENTATION, INC. WOBURN, MA -
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Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 1990
Title: TUNABLE BIREFRINGENT FILTERS USING LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENTS
Agency: NSF
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $229,438.00
 

Abstract:

RECENT ADVANCES IN LIQUID CRYSTAL TECHNOLOGY MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT TUNABLE BIREFRINGENT FILTERS OPERATINGOVER THE RANGE 3,500-20,000 ANGSTROMS, WITH PASSBANDS AS NARROW AS 50 ANGSTROMS. THE CENTER WAVE-LENGTH OF THIS FILTER CAN BE SELECTED ELECTRONICALLY, IN A FEW MILLISECONDS, WITH NO MOVING PARTS. THESE FILTERS SHOULD BERELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE ($1K-2K). THE RESEARCHERSPROPOSE DEVELOPING THESE MODERATE-PASSBAND FILTERS FOR ASTRONOMICAL USES, INCLUDING BROAD-BAND PHOTOMETRY. RAPIDLYTUNABLE FABRY-PEROT ETALONS CAN ALSO BE BUILT USING THE SAMETECHNOLOGY. THE PASSBAND IS TUNED BY ADJUSTING THE VOLTAGE ACROSS A LIQUID CRYSTAL SLAB. THE CENTER WAVELENGTHIS MONITORED BY A REFERENCE LASER DIODE, USED TO STABILIZE THE ETALON UNDER SERVO CONTROL. PLACING THESE ELEMENTS IN SERIES PRODUCES A "HYBRID" TUNABLE FILTER WITH HIGH TRANSMISSION AND A FULL-WIDTH AT HALF-MAXIMUM OF APPROXIMATELY 1 ANGSTROM. THIS HYBRID FILTER HAS APPLICATIONS IN SOLAR AND STELLAR ASTRONOMY, AND IS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE COMPARED TO PRESENTLY-AVAILABLE TUNABLE FILTERS, WHICH ARE VERY EXPENSIVE ($100K). THEY PROPOSE TO MODEL THE PROPERTIES OF BIREFRINGENT FILTERS AND FABRY-PEROT ETALONS, BASED ON MEASUREMENTS OF INDIVIDUAL LIQUID CRYSTAL ELEMENTS, AND TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE OBSERVING PROGRAMS FOR TESTING THE FILTER.

Principal Investigator:

Peter J Miller
Principal Investigator
6174912627

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Cambridge Research & Instrumen
21 Erie St Cambridge, MA 02139

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No