SBIR Phase I: Innovative Design and Fabrication of Subwavelength Optical Polarimetry Array (SOPA) for Polarization Enhanced Imaging

SBIR 第一阶段：用于偏振增强成像的亚波长光学偏振阵列 (SOPA) 的创新设计和制造

• 批准号: 0711991
• 负责人: Wei Zhang
• 金额: $ 9.96万
• 依托单位: Nanonex Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-01 至 2007-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0711991&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Innovative; Design; Fabrication

This SBIR Phase I project is to fabricate subwavelength optical polarimetery array (SOPA) for polarization enhanced imaging using nanofabrication technology based on nanoimprint lithography. Polarization imaging will not only enhance imaging quality such as contrast, but also reveal chemical property of objectives by detecting polarization dependent reflections or absorptions. SOPA delivers a novel way to build polarimetry imager with very low cost and fast response. Polarimetry imager can be built either by placing a SOPA chip in front of an imaging chip or fabricating SOAP above imaging pixel array on the same chip. In SOPA, each pixel in a 2D array has sub-pixels of subwavelenth polarizers and waveplate in front of photodetectors todetect different polarizations. These subwavelength optical elements can be fabricated monolithically into a large array and are very thin (200 nm - 300 nm thick). Since all pixel photodetectors using SOPA detect the incident light simultaneously and with a submicrosecond speed, polarimetry imaging is obtained very fast. Polarimetry imagers with SOPA have many unique features and superb performances that are unattainable with the other existing polarimetry imagers, including fast, wide wavelength range (from UV to far IR), low manufacturing cost, and onchip integration compatiblity.SOPA can be used to enhance performance of various types of optical imagers from infrared to visible. Its market impact covers many imager applications, such as CMOS camera, night vision, fast imaging detection and spectrum analysis for objective recognition. Chemical or bio-material detection and space telescope are additional applications. Since SOPA technology enables fast polarimetry imaging at low cost, imager with SOPA chip can go into fields that previously could not afford the high cost of polarimetry imaging. These fields include objective recognition for security surveillance, car-collision warning, and, especially important, portable or handheld noncontact chemical/bio-hazard detector for homeland security.

该SBIR第一阶段项目是利用基于纳米压印光刻的纳米纤维技术制备用于偏振增强成像的亚波长光学偏振阵列（SOPA）。偏振成像不仅可以提高成像质量，如对比度，而且可以通过检测偏振相关的反射或散射来揭示目标的化学性质。SOPA提供了一种新的方法来构建具有非常低的成本和快速响应的偏振成像仪。偏振成像仪可以通过将SOPA芯片放置在成像芯片前面或在同一芯片上的成像像素阵列上方制造SOAP来构建。在SOPA中，二维阵列中的每个像素在光电探测器的前面具有亚波长偏振器和波片的子像素，以检测不同的偏振。这些亚波长光学元件可以单片地制造成大阵列并且非常薄（200 nm - 300 nm厚）。由于使用SOPA的所有像素光电探测器同时以亚微秒的速度检测入射光，因此可以非常快地获得偏振成像。SOPA偏振成像器具有速度快、波长范围宽（从紫外到远红外）、制造成本低、片上集成兼容性好等许多现有偏振成像器无法比拟的独特性能，可用于提高从红外到可见光的各种光学成像器的性能。其市场影响涵盖了许多成像器应用，如CMOS相机、夜视、快速成像检测和用于目标识别的光谱分析。 化学或生物材料探测和空间望远镜是额外的应用。 由于SOPA技术能够以低成本实现快速偏振成像，因此具有SOPA芯片的成像仪可以进入以前无法承受高成本偏振成像的领域。这些领域包括用于安全监视的客观识别，汽车碰撞警告，尤其重要的是，用于国土安全的便携式或手持式非接触式化学/生物危害探测器。