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Radiation-Hardened Silicon Integrated Low-Loss Nano-Photonic Switches for Array LIDARs

Award Information
Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Branch: N/A
Contract: NNX08CA28C
Agency Tracking Number: 067283
Amount: $599,968.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: S6.02
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2007-12-18
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-12-17
Small Business Information
201 Circle Drive North, Suite 102/103
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3723
United States
DUNS: 78714
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Gary Tompa
 Principal Investigator
 (732) 302-9274
 gstompa@aol.com
Business Contact
 Gary Tompa
Title: CEO
Phone: (732) 302-9274
Email: gstompa@structuredmaterials.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Manned planetary exploration has become re-invigorated, thanks to President Bush's recent call for a lunar base to be established within two decades and manned landing on Mars sometime after 2030. Such exciting explorations will demand innovative technologies for the next round of manned exploration of space.
One such technology that is desired to be advanced is LIDAR – the LIght Detection And Ranging, for which SMI and Cornell University jointly proposed to develop a 1 x 10 electrically switched silicon nano-optic switch/multiplexer for use with high power lasers in LIDAR systems, especially the fiber-based fixed-array laser transmitter for use in NASA planetary explorations. Specifically, we have invented a few approaches to minimize optical absorption and optical loss in silicon nano-photonics and extend the applicability of silicon from infrared into visible and near-infrared spectrum with wavelengths shorter than 1100nm. These methods will serve as the groundwork for striding progress in Phase II.
The prototype 1x16 photonic switch array will have < 10 nano-second switching time, < 3dB optical loss, complete temperature stabilization circuit, electronics driver circuits, and can transmit greater than 200 micro-Joules transmission over 5 nano-second pulse at 10 kHz repetition rate for LIDAR applications.

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

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