SBIR Phase I: Tunable Lenses for Infrared Light

SBIR 第一阶段：红外光可调透镜

• 批准号: 1416467
• 负责人: Peter Kozodoy
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Glint Photonics, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1416467&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Tunable; Lenses; Infrared

The broader impacts/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in two main application areas: infrared cameras and telecommunications components. Tunable infrared lenses will enable highly capable miniaturized infrared cameras, resulting in improved systems for security, automatic navigation, and safety. In communications, tunable infrared lenses will reduce component costs by eliminating active alignment requirements, and can enable new functionality in configurable optical design. There are impacts, too, in scientific research, which will benefit from the availability of a continuously variable infrared lens for use in optical experimentation. Finally, there will be substantial economic and employment benefits stemming from successful commercialization of this technology.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a new type of device for infrared optics and photonics: tunable lenses with focusing and beam-steering properties that can be adjusted without the use of mechanical parts. The devices are compact, low-power, robust, and inexpensive; they promise to enable a broad array of new applications in infrared imaging and communications. The tunable lenses contain two immiscible liquids with different refractive indices, and the curved interface between the two liquids forms a lensing surface. The liquid interface can be altered by an applied electric field to change the focusing properties of the lens or to tilt it in order to steer light in a desired direction. The project will develop electrowetting optics with a new set of materials optimized for use in the short-wave infrared band between 0.9 and 1.7 microns, which is used for night vision, sensing, and telecommunications.

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是在两个主要应用领域：红外相机和电信组件。 可调红外镜头将使高性能的小型化红外摄像机成为可能，从而改善安全，自动导航和安全系统。 在通信领域，可调谐红外透镜将通过消除主动对准要求来降低组件成本，并可以在可配置光学设计中实现新功能。 在科学研究方面也有影响，这将受益于光学实验中使用的连续可变红外透镜的可用性。 最后，这项技术的成功商业化将带来巨大的经济和就业效益。这一小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种用于红外光学和光子学的新型器件：具有聚焦和光束转向特性的可调透镜，无需使用机械部件即可进行调节。 这些器件结构紧凑，功耗低，坚固耐用，价格低廉;它们有望在红外成像和通信领域实现广泛的新应用。 可调谐透镜包含两种具有不同折射率的不混溶液体，并且两种液体之间的弯曲界面形成透镜化表面。 可以通过施加电场来改变液体界面，以改变透镜的聚焦特性或使其倾斜，以便将光转向所需方向。 该项目将开发电润湿光学器件，其中一组新材料针对0.9至1.7微米的短波红外波段进行了优化，用于夜视，传感和电信。