NASA SBIR 2008 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
ADVR, Inc.
2310 University Way, Building 1
Bozeman, MT 59715 - 6504
(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 #1-1
Bozeman, MT 59715 - 6504
(406) 522-0388

Expected Technology Readiness Level (TRL) upon completion of contract: 5

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
NASA LaRC is developing a compact, multi-wavelength High Spectral resolution Lidar (HSRL) system designed to measure various optical and microphysical properties of aerosols and clouds. The HSRL system uses a high power, pulsed, seeded Nd:YAG laser, whose seed is wavelength-stabilized to an iodine vapor absorption line. The primary goal of the Phase II effort is to provide a robust, next generation seed laser system which is significantly reduced in size, weight, and required "wall-plug" power for HSRL and other lidar applications. This approach is enabled by use of a suitable compact laser diode source, together with AdvR's integrated Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) technology. Furthermore, AdvR's multi-element waveguide technology will be utilized in this Phase II effort to provide a compact 355nm source, derived from the same seed laser, for calibration of the HSRL UV interferometric filter. A compact, next generation seed laser system utilizing AdvR's PLC and UV technology, integrated with a high performance compact laser diode source will advance NASA's lidar systems due to its compact, efficient, and reliable design, thus enabling use on small aircraft and satellites.

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. This system is being considered for the ACE lidar by NASA's ACE Science Working Group because of the higher information content it provides over backscatter lidar on key aerosol optical and microphysical properties. The proposed technology will find multiple uses in other NASA lidar remote sensing programs, such in altimetry and DIAL lidar at NASA/GSFC, where compact, low cost, stabilized single-frequency lasers are required, and also has potential application in spectroscopic measurement techniques.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
In addition to NASA's use in various lidar systems, the combination of a compact, low cost, single wavelength diode laser, together with AdvR's PLC technology will find use in fiber and free-space communications where rapid, moderate power phase modulation is required. This technology can also be applied for systems used for environmental and pollution monitoring, stabilizing laser sources used for precision metrology, as well as for amplitude modulation of visible sources for the display industry.

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

Laser Optical Optical & Photonic Materials Photonics