SBIR Phase II: Thick Film Planar Magnetooptic Garnet Faraday Rotators

这项小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段研究项目致力于研究具有平面各向异性的厚磁光学石榴石法拉第旋转体薄膜可在近红外下工作的设备和市场机会。磁场和电磁场传感器可以在各种近红外波长下开发，包括800 nm、1310 nm和1550 nm波段。与电流互感器等当前技术相比，这些传感器的制造成本要低得多，尺寸小得多，重量也轻得多。它们有可能通过故障预测和通过监测和控制预防和节约电力而对电力分配的可靠性产生直接影响。平面材料具有比传统垂直法拉第旋转器高得多的开关速度，因此将允许采用磁光方法进行分组交换。这种薄膜是一种创新的解决方案，用于解决需要随着外加磁场进行高速、连续变化的极化旋转的器件问题。该项目将致力于改善这种厚厚的平面薄膜的性能和性能，并将它们整合到设备中。具体的材料任务是为了提高操作的灵敏度、线性度和温度范围。如果成功，这些传感器将在车轮和涡轮机旋转、电力分配、监测、计量和控制以及战场传感器等方面得到应用。电力应用尤其有可能使电网中的灾难性故障预防发生革命性变化，并通过实现自主重新配置在不同层面上降低电力成本。用于爆炸性、易燃性和高压环境的光纤传感器中没有电连接器，这代表着安全方面的重大改进。目前还不能实现的新型光子设备将能够用于电信和军事应用，如可变光学衰减器、偏振控制器和加速磁光开关。光子器件包括偏振控制器、可变光衰减器、开关和新的创新器件。智能船舶和建筑将在节约和提高效率方面发挥作用。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project addresses the device and market opportunity for thick magnetooptic garnet Faraday rotator films with planar anisotropy to be operated in the near infrared. Magnetic and electromagnetic field sensors could be developed at a variety of near-infrared wavelengths including the 800 nm, 1310 nm and 1550 nm bands. These sensors can be made much less expensively, in much smaller sizes and with much less weight than current technologies such as current transformers. They have a potential for immediate impact in reliability of electric power distribution through failure anticipation and prevention and conservation of electric power through monitoring and control. Planar materials have much higher switching speeds than conventional perpendicular Faraday rotators and as such would permit a magnetooptical approach to packet switching. Such films are an innovative solution to device problems that require high-speed, continuously-varying polarization rotation with applied field. The project will work on improving properties and performance of such thick planar films and incorporate them into devices. Specific materials tasks are directed to improving sensitivity, linearity and temperature range of operation.If successful these sensors will have applications such as wheel and turbine rotation, electric power distribution, monitoring, metering and control, and battlefield sensors. The electric power application in particular has potential to revolutionize catastrophic failure prevention in the power grid and reduce power costs at a variety of levels by enabling autonomous reconfiguration. The lack of electrical connectors in fiber optic sensors for explosive, flammable and high-voltage environments represent a significant improvement in safety. New photonic devices not currently realizable will be enabled for telecommunications and military applications such as variable optical attenuators, polarization controllers and increased speed magnetooptic switches. Photonic devices include polarization controllers, variable optical attenuators, switches and new innovative devices. Smart ships and buildings would find utility both for conservation and efficiency.