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Frequency Agile LIDAR Receiver for Chem-Bio Sensing

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
Contract: W911SR-07-C-0060
Agency Tracking Number: C061-103-0078
Amount: $749,969.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: CBD06-103
Solicitation Number: 2006.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2007
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2007-08-10
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-08-10
Small Business Information
20 New England Business Center
Andover, MA 01810
United States
DUNS: 073800062
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Bogdan Cosofret
 Principal Scientist
 (978) 689-0003
 cosofret@psicorp.com
Business Contact
 B. Green
Title: President, R&D Operations
Phone: (978) 689-0003
Email: green@psicorp.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Physical Sciences Inc. proposes to develop an ultra low noise receiver module for direct detection LWIR LIDAR systems. The proposed receiver concept is compatible with emerging LWIR source technologies, e.g., optical parametric amplifier-based sources, as well as existing frequency-agile CO2 laser technology. The optical system will incorporate a rapidly-tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer (etalon) to reduce the baseline flux on the detector and thereby reduce the background-limited photon statistical (BLIP) noise associated with backscatter measurements. The tunable etalon’s transmission will track the emission wavelength of the LIDAR transmitter. Development of a low-noise amplifier matched to the receiver detector is required in order to realize the BLIP noise reduction resulting from the etalon. Model calculations indicate that the NEP of the proposed receiver will be 4x less than what can be achieved using a conventional optical design and a commercially-available detector and amplifier. Model calculations further indicate that this reduction in system NEP can extend maximum standoff range by up to a factor of 2 or improve detection limits for chemical vapors or aerosol particles by up to a factor of 4.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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