United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of the Navy

Other

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Sunlight Photonics Inc.

University of California

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Ishwar Dayal Aggarwal

Shyam S Bayya

Jesse A Frantz

Guillermo R Villalobos

Woohong Kim

Leslie Brandon Shaw

Daniel Joseph Gibson

Jason D Myers

Vinh Q Nguyen

L Brandon Shaw

Colin C Baker

Lynda E Busse

Rafael R Gattass

Frederic Hau Kung

Pablo C Pureza

Robel Y Bekele

Bryan Sadowski

Catalin M Florea

Michael Hunt

Daniel L Rhonehouse

Mikhail Kotov

Kenneth J Ewing

Jawad Naciri

Peter Anthony Thielen

Christopher M Spillmann

Barry B Harbison

Jakub Kolacz

Brian A Cole

Gryphon A Drake

Robert E Miklos

Brandon L Shaw

Geoffrey Chin

Reza Mossadegh

Sergey V Frolov

Allan James Bruce

Michael Cyrus

Steven R Bowman

Darryl A Boyd

Henry G Gotjen

Geoff Chin

Menelaos K Poutous

Kevin J Major

Jason Auxier

Steven C Erwin

Rajesh Thapa

Walter J Dressick

Edward J Friebele

Gregory Nau

Peter Alexander Morrison

Christopher John Bardeen

Benjamin Rock

Fred Kung

John A Moon

Syed B Qadri

Banahalli R Ratna

Raymond M Gamache

Frank Bucholtz

Jay N Vizgaitis

Dean A Scribner

Alex E Moser

Cathy S Scotto

David T Schaafsma

Augustus Xavier Carlson

Nia A Pollard

Anthony Romano Clabeau

Frederic H Kung

Christopher G Brown

Guollermo R Villalobos

Guillermo E Villalobos

David Schaafsma

Paul Pureza

A polymer comprising one or more chalcogenide elements and one or more crosslinking moieties. The crosslinking moieties may be organic, inorganic, or both. Also disclosed is the related method for making a polymer comprising purifying a chalcogenide polymer powder comprising one or more chalcogenide elements, melting the purified chalcogenide polymer powder, adding one or more crosslinking moieties to the melted chalcogenide polymer, and curing the modified chalcogenide polymer at a temperature between 150 and 200° C.

Organically modified chalcogenide polymers

Tunable devices and methods for fine tuning the optical responses of thin film devices post fabrication are described. This approach modifies the refractive indices of the chalcogenide glass thin films incorporated into the devices, and using this change in the refractive indices to fine tune the optical responses of the devices. Thermal annealing may be used to modify the refractive index. Thermal annealing provides good uniformity in large-area devices and may be applied to multi-layer structures.

Thermally tuned optical devices containing chalcogenide thin films

Systems and methods are provided for a mechanical actuator based on a fiber optic platform. A material that is configured to be activated by light is incorporated into an optical fiber that serves as both an actuator and a power delivery network. This platform is adaptable to different materials, types of motions, and length scales and allows for precise delivery of photons to the material.

Optomechanical fiber actuator

Methods for synthesizing fibers having nanoparticles therein are provided, as well as preforms and fibers incorporating nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may include one or more rare earth ions selected based on fluorescence at eye-safer wavelengths, surrounded by a low-phonon energy host. Nanoparticles that are not doped with rare earth ions may also be included as a co-dopant to help increase solubility of nanoparticles doped with rare earth ions in the silica matrix. The nanoparticles may be incorporated into a preform, which is then drawn to form fiber. The fibers may beneficially be incorporated into lasers and amplifiers that operate at eye safer wavelengths. Lasers and amplifiers incorporating the fibers may also beneficially exhibit reduced Stimulated Brillouin Scattering.

Nanoparticle doping for lasers and amplifiers operating at eye-safer wavelengths, and/or exhibiting reduced stimulated Brillouin scattering

A bonded optical assembly comprising infrared-transparent materials. The assembly comprises two or more infrared transparent optical elements and a polymer comprising at least one chalcogenide element and crosslinking moieties between the infrared-transparent optical elements. The crosslinking moieties may be organic, inorganic, or both.

Organically modified chalcogenide polymers for use as optical adhesive materials

This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 μm and 15 μm, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.

Infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining optical fiber and method for making

A method for bonding infrared transparent materials by placing a polymer comprising at least one chalcogenide element and crosslinking moieties between infrared-transparent optical elements and applying heat, pressure, or both. The crosslinking moieties may be organic, inorganic, or both. Also disclosed is the related bonded assembly comprising infrared transparent optical elements.

The present invention provides a method for making a high strength, small grain size ceramic having a transgranular fracture mode by rapid densification of a green body and subsequent cooling of the densified ceramic. The ceramic may include dislocations, defects, dopants, and/or secondary phases that are formed as a result of the process and resulting in stress fields capable of redirecting or arresting cracks within the material. This ceramic can maintain transparency from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared.

High strength ceramics with novel fracture mode

A standoff chemical detection system that includes a source and detector are provided. The source includes: a controller, memory communicatively connected to the controller, optical sources each constructed to operate over different wavelength ranges, and a power supply. The controller controls the plurality of optical sources to emit respective infrared beams towards a target detection area in a sequential order. The detector includes: an image sensor and a controller that is communicatively connected to the image sensor. Memory and the notification device are also communicatively connected to the controller. The image sensor receives attenuated infrared beams emitted by the optical sources sequentially and at least partially attenuated by chemicals in the target detection area. The controller is constructed to calculate stimulus value signals from the recorded image data and determine whether a hazard chemical is located within the target detection area based on the calculated stimulus value signals.

Methods and apparatuses for biomimetic standoff detection of hazardous chemicals

Systems and methods are provided for a mechanical actuator based on a fiber optic platform. A material that is configured to be activated by light may be incorporated into an optical fiber that serves as both an actuator and a power delivery network. This platform is adaptable to different materials, types of motions, and length scales and allows for precise delivery of photons to the material.

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

Manufacturing process for striae-free multicomponent chalcogenide glasses via multiple fining steps

Fiber optic amplification includes a photonic crystal fiber coupled to a pump laser through a first coupler. The pump laser emits a first electromagnetic radiation wave into the photonic crystal fiber at a first oscillation frequency and a second electromagnetic radiation wave into the photonic crystal fiber at a second oscillation frequency equaling the first oscillation frequency. The first and second electromagnetic radiation waves interact to generate a signal comprising an electromagnetic radiation wave at a third oscillation frequency and an idler comprising a fourth electromagnetic radiation wave at a fourth oscillation frequency to be generated and amplified through parametric amplification. Parametric amplification is achieved by four wave mixing. The photonic crystal fiber emits a parametric output signal based on the four wave mixing. A nonlinear crystal frequency doubles the parametric output signal through second-harmonic generation.

Multi-wavelength sources based on parametric amplification

An apparatus includes an amplified spontaneous emission source, which in turn includes an optical fiber. The optical fiber includes a solid core and a first end. The solid core includes a silica matrix. The silica matrix includes a rare-earth element and a glass co-dopant. The rare-earth element includes dysprosium or neodymium. The glass co-dopant includes AlO. The apparatus further includes a laser pump diode coupled to the first end of the optical fiber. The laser pump diode and the optical fiber cooperate to generate a spontaneous spectral emission confined to the solid core. The spontaneous spectral emission includes a simultaneous plurality of spectral regions.

Optical fiber superluminescent light source

The present invention provides a method for making a high strength, small grain size ceramic having a trans-granular fracture mode by rapid densification of a green body and subsequent cooling of the densified ceramic. The ceramic may include dislocations, defects, dopants, and/or secondary phases that are formed as a result of the process and resulting in stress fields capable of redirecting or arresting cracks within the material. This ceramic can maintain transparency from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared.

A composition of matter having a coated silicon substrate with multiple alternating layers of polydopamine and polyallylamine bound copper-indium-gallium oxide (CIGO) nanoparticles on the substrate. A related composition of matter having polyallylamine bound to CIGO nanoparticles to form PAH-coated CIGO nanoparticles. A related CIGO thin film made via conversion of layer-by-layer assembled CIGO nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes. CIGO nanoparticles are created via a flame-spray pyrolysis method using metal nitrate precursors, subsequently coated with polyallylamine (PAH), and dispersed in aqueous solution. Multilayer films are assembled by alternately dipping a substrate into a solution of either polydopamine or polystyrenesulfonate and then in the CIGO-PAH dispersion to fabricate CIGO films as thick as 1-2 microns.

Method for fabrication of copper-indium gallium oxide and chalcogenide thin films

Growing community of inventors

Ashburn, VA, United States of America

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera