SBIR Phase I: Chalcogenide Polymer Infrared Optics

SBIR 第一阶段：硫属化物聚合物红外光学

• 批准号: 2016089
• 负责人: Jay Liebowitz
• 金额: $ 25.59万
• 依托单位: NORCON TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-06-01 至 2021-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2016089&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Chalcogenide; Polymer; Infrared

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to make infrared (IR) thermal imaging more affordable and widespread. Thermal imaging is used for firefighting, warfighter night vision, mechanical monitoring, and automotive safety, in particular. The majority of pedestrian fatalities could potentially be prevented by automotive night vision cameras; however, current infrared lenses are cost-prohibitive, limiting their adoption. The proposed project will advance the development of a transparent IR material that can lower imaging costs. Benefits will include lighter night vision goggles in defense applications, greater deployment of thermal imaging in automotive markets, and more accurate machine monitoring for industrial applications.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a new class of chalcogenide optical polymers for infrared imaging applications. Most mass-produced lenses, such as those in smartphones, are made of polymers that are transparent in the visible but opaque in the IR. The proposed sulfur-based polymer is based on new chemical synthesis and infrared fingerprint engineering. The proposed project will address the trade space defined by infrared transparency, encouraging higher chalcogen content; and thermomechanical stability and processability, encouraging higher organic content. In addition, the material's plastic nature enables novel optical designs that could potentially employ state-of-the-art freeform concepts currently rarely used in infrared imaging. Such designs can lead to more compact, lighter, and higher performance optical systems for a range of infrared imaging applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是使红外(IR)热成像更实惠和更广泛。热成像被用于消防、战士夜视、机械监测，特别是汽车安全。大多数行人死亡事件可能可以通过汽车夜视摄像头来防止；然而，目前的红外镜头成本高昂，限制了它们的采用。拟议的项目将推动透明红外材料的开发，这种材料可以降低成像成本。好处将包括国防应用中更轻的夜视镜，汽车市场中更多地部署热成像，以及工业应用中更精确的机器监控。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目旨在开发一种用于红外成像应用的新型硫系光学聚合物。大多数大规模生产的镜片，如智能手机中的镜片，都是由聚合物制成的，这种聚合物在可见光下是透明的，但在红外光谱中是不透明的。提出的硫基聚合物是基于新的化学合成和红外指纹工程。拟议的项目将解决由红外透明度定义的贸易空间，鼓励更高的硫化物含量；以及热机械稳定性和加工性，鼓励更高的有机含量。此外，这种材料的塑料性质使新颖的光学设计成为可能，这些设计可能采用目前在红外成像中很少使用的最先进的自由形式概念。这样的设计可以为一系列红外成像应用带来更紧凑、更轻和更高性能的光学系统。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。