SBIR Phase II: Chalcogenide Polymer Infrared Optics

SBIR 第二阶段：硫属化物聚合物红外光学器件

• 批准号: 2129415
• 负责人: Jay Liebowitz
• 金额: $ 98.43万
• 依托单位: NORCON TECHNOLOGIES HOLDING, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-11-15 至 2024-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2129415&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Chalcogenide; Polymer

The broader impact and commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to improve the optics and lenses used in near infrared 3D imaging. Glass lenses, which have excellent transmittance and thermal properties, are used in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and rangefinders for distances beyond a few tens of meters. Polymer lenses, which are moldable and lower cost, are typically used in consumer-mobile 3D cameras and emerging automotive LiDAR systems. The refractive indices of these lenses limit the numerical aperture and require longer-than-desired lens barrels. The proposed polymeric chalcogenide lenses combine infrared transmittance, index, and thermal properties with the cost and moldability of optical polymers. The innovation enables the molding of freeform polymer lenses with increased numerical aperture and reduced barrel lengths. These properties make possible more compact, lighter, and lower cost 3D imagers. With these advantages, rangefinders can be more easily carried and scan faster and smartphone cameras can have wider viewing angles. Additionally, LiDAR systems can image more accurately around a vehicle and improve both driver and pedestrian safety.This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project seeks to advance sulfur polymer chemistry and materials processing for the development of a new class of near infrared (NIR) optical components. Innovative chemical synthesis and infrared fingerprint engineering has led to the development of a new class of optical polymers with the potential for imaging applications in the NIR. As a result of extensive optical and mechanical characterization, including the determination of the optical constants over the full infrared spectrum, measurement of mechanical properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion, measurement of thermo-optic coefficients, and determination of stress-optic coefficients, the materials will now be developed and integrated for product applications with innovative optical designs based on material's unique property set. Freeform optical design concepts will be used which, to date, have not often been used in infrared imaging. Such designs may lead to more compact, lighter, and higher performance optical systems for infrared imaging applications, further leveraging the advantages of the material's transmission spectrum, incorporating absorption, bulk scattering and surface scattering, and surface scattering contributions.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.

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）II期项目的更广泛的影响和商业潜力是改善近红外3D成像中使用的光学元件和镜头。 玻璃透镜具有出色的透射率和热性能，用于光检测和范围（LIDAR）和测距仪，用于超过几十米的距离。 聚合物镜头可塑性且成本较低，通常用于消费者摩托车3D摄像机和新兴的汽车雷达系统中。 这些镜头的折射率限制了数值孔，需要更长的镜头桶。 所提出的聚合物硫元化晶状体将红外透射率，指数和热性质结合在一起，以及光学聚合物的成本和可塑性。 该创新使自由形式聚合物透镜的成型具有增加数值孔径和减小的枪管长度。 这些特性使得可能更紧凑，更轻和更低的成本3D成像仪。 有了这些优势，可以更轻松地携带测距仪，并更快地扫描，智能手机相机可以具有更大的观看角度。 此外，LIDAR系统可以更准确地围绕车辆进行形象，并提高驾驶员和行人安全性。本小型企业创新研究阶段II阶段项目旨在推进硫聚合物化学和材料处理，以开发新的近红外（NIR）光学组件。 创新的化学合成和红外指纹工程已导致开发新的光学聚合物，并具有在NIR中进行成像应用的潜力。 由于具有巨大的光学和机械表征，包括在完整红外光谱中确定光学常数，测量机械性能，例如热膨胀系数，测量热功能系数以及确定应激系数的确定，现在将开发和集成材料，以基于生产的构图，以构成构图。 将使用自由形式的光学设计概念，迄今为止，这些概念尚未在红外成像中使用。 这种设计可能会导致用于红外成像应用的更紧凑，更轻巧和更高的光学系统，进一步利用材料传输频谱的优势，结合吸收，大量散射和表面散射以及表面散射以及表面散射贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过评估了基金会的范围，并通过评估了基金会的范围。