NASA SBIR 2011 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
44 Hunt Street
Watertown, MA 02472 - 4699
(617) 668-6801

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Richard Myers
RMeyers@RMDInc.com
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
Watertown, MA 02472 - 4699
(617) 668-6801

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 2
End: 5

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
In this effort, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) addresses NASA's request for sensitive, high quantum efficiency (QE) optical detectors for space- and ground-based light detection and ranging (Lidar) instruments. We propose to address this need by utilizing our latest designs in solid state photodetectors, and providing optimal receiver solutions needed for NASA's ongoing and future science missions. The solid state photodetectors that will be evaluated for this program will include RMD's large-area, high-gain proportional mode avalanche photodiodes (APD). The focus will be on modification of RMD's existing structure to improve responsivity and bandwidth in the blue and ultra-violet (UV) region of the spectrum. Preliminary studies have shown that UV responsivity and bandwidth of our large area detectors can be increased through the application of a modified surface layer using a well-established processing method.
The proposed receiver technology readiness level (TRL) is estimated at 2. The Phase I effort will utilize experimental and theoretical studies to confirm the feasibility of the defined approach, resulting in a prototype design with a TRL of 3-4. In Phase II, the prototype receiver will be fabricated and evaluated. A TRL of 5-6 will be reached by the end of this SBIR program.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The target application for our receiver will be laser detection and ranging. This includes Earth-based satellites, which use laser ranging to monitor atmospheric conditions and topographical features, or planetary mission that require laser altimeters for landing or topographical and atmospheric mapping. Select mission include: Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystem (ACE), Doppler Wind Lidar for Surface Topology (LIST) and Geostationary Coastal Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE). NASA's existing systems, such as the Airborne cloud physics Lidar (CPL) and instruments for Wind and Raman Lidar, will also employ relevant receiver technology.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
In addition to non-NASA laser ranging applications, the proposed detector would be useful for commercial technology related to optical communication, fluorescence lifetime imaging and medical imaging. The technology could be used as a low cost and compact receiver for high speed vehicle or object tracking. In addition, it would offer improved readout of scintillators for radiation detection and monitoring in health care and homeland security applications.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (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.)

Detectors (see also Sensors) Ionizing Radiation Optical/Photonic (see also Photonics) Positioning (Attitude Determination, Location X-Y-Z) Ranging/Tracking Ultraviolet Visible