SBIR Phase I: Programmable Liquid Crystal Based Optical Attenuator

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to develop a programmable motionless optical attenuator that over performs commercial electro-mechanical attenuators and state-of-the-art MEMs attenuator. Made from a revolutionary liquid crystal and polymer composite material, i.e., polymer stabilized liquid crystal material, the new technology ultimately promises to achieve the following performance specifications, (a) over 10,000:1 contrast ratio, (b) less than 5 ms response time, and (c) less than 2dB insertion loss. In Phase I, the demo device will be constructed to show the technological feasibility. The Phase II effort is to develop the prototype attenuator that meets all the projected performance specifications followed by a full commercialization in the later phase.The technology, once successfully developed, will be used in liquid crystal display, photonics instrument, telecommunication, and military systems