NASA SBIR 2006 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
ADVR, Inc
2310 University Way, Building #1
Bozeman, MT 59715-6500
(406) 522-0388

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Shirley   McNeil
mcneil@advr-inc.com
2310 University Way, Building #1
Bozeman, MT  59715-6500
(406) 522-0388

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT ( Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
This SBIR Phase I effort proposes the development of a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) waveguide phase modulator for future integration into a Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) used for high spectral resolution aerosol and cloud lidar applications. The PLC is a monolithic substrate that integrates key optical and electro-optical components. These individual components are currently used to lock a seed laser and high power host laser to an iodine absorption line. This technology is important for lidar systems requiring high frequency stability and accuracy. The PLC concept advances NASA's lidar systems due to its compact, efficient, and reliable design, thus enabling use on small aircraft and satellites. The key objective in this SBIR proposal is to establish the feasibility of fabricating a low-voltage, 250MHz waveguide phase modulator in KTP that can support moderate optical powers at 532nm. A baseline PLC design will be presented that will incorporate the phase modulator. The focus of the Phase II effort will be to fabricate a PLC with integrated phase modulator based on this Phase I study.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS ( Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The primary customer is NASA Langley's High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL) program for aerosol and cloud characterization. The proposed KTP waveguide phase modulator will find multiple uses in NASA's lidar remote sensing programs both for stabilizing seed laser sources and for potential spectroscopic measurement techniques.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS ( Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
In addition to optical remote sensing, KTP waveguide modulators will find use in fiber and free-space communications where rapid, moderate power phase modulation is required. This technology can also be applied for seed lasers used for environmental and pollution monitoring and in stabilizing laser sources used for precision metrology.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Optical Optical & Photonic Materials