Infrared optics with engineered materials
Abstract
This proposal will explore innovative ways to engineer and characterize emerging and existing optical materials, to enable next-generation optics for emitting, manipulating, absorbing, and detecting infrared light, with particular focus on the mid-wave and long-wave infrared ranges. The basic science developed in this project will promote the development of new DoD capabilities, in particular in the areas of infrared imaging, counter measures, material identification and characterization, and communication and signaling. The development of robust spatially doped semiconductor optics will enable new types of flat lenses for infrared imaging and beam control, and will serve as an additional degree of freedom for metasurface optical elements. Semiconductor frequency selective surfaces will have applications in infrared filtering, potentially for imaging through obscurants and for laser safety and sensor-protection applications. The new methods of materials metrology that we will develop will elucidate electronic, vibrational, and optoelectronic properties of materials relevant to a wide variety of electronics and optical detectors. The devices to be demonstrated in this project include new types of infrared polarization optics, for polarization control of e.g., mid-infrared lasers used for machining and countermeasures. The thermoregulating technology to be developed will enable temperature control of sensitive optical components. Finally, the proposed room-temperature imager will provide new mid-infrared imaging capability that will enable superior imaging through various obscurants as well as remote detection of various compounds.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012297
Entities
People
- Mikhail A Kats
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Wisconsin System