SBIR-STTR Award

This SBIR project will develop a compact, low-cost, ambient temperature operating and ultra-sensitive, wideband laser warning receiver (LWR) based on an ultrasensitivie wavelength dispersive photoreceiver array operating in the 0.4 - 2.5mm wavelength range for shipboard detection of laser threats. We will accomplish this by developing novel ultrasensitive wavelength dispersive avalanche photodiode (APD) detector arrays having low noise, high quantum efficiency and wide-spectral response with each array pixel able to discriminate among wavelengths and angles of arrival of incoming laser signals. In Phase I, we will demonstrate on a single wafer, sub-nanowatt sensitivity, 1-GHz bandwidth detectors with spectral resolution as low as 10-nm at 0.6 um, 0.85 um, 1.1-um, 1.5 um and 2.5 um at room ambient temperature, and show that these detectors can be fabricated as a large format array. In Phase II, we will optimize the detector material and device designs to enable detector pixels with wavelength response varying from 0.4 to 2.5 um. We will then design and fabricate 256 x 256 LWR arrays with 0.1 nW sensitivity equivalent to an irradiance sensitivity of 0.1 mW/cm2 and probability of detection of 90% or one false alarm per hour, as well as a spectral resolution of 10-nm and an angular coverage of 90o.

Keywords:
Laser Warning Receiver Laser Sensors Optical Amplifiers Optical & Photonic Materials Perception Sensing Photonics Semi-Conductors & Solid State Device Materials Sensor Webs &

The overall objective of the proposed SBIR program is to develop innovative laser warning receivers based on APD arrays with high sensitivity in the 0.4 to 2.5 um spectral range, and with narrow line-width spectral recognition, wide angular coverage and precise angular discrimination. The goal of Phase II will be to use innovative combinations of APD array design, on-chip optical filters and lenses to produce ultrasensitive broad wavelength laser warning receivers with the capability for spectral and angular determination. We will build on the Phase I results to develop and produce ultrasensitive and broad spectral width APD array chips and integrate them with spectral and angular discrimination array elements to produce the laser warning receivers. At the end of Phase II, we will develop, produce and end-to-end test APD array laser warning receivers with 10 nW/cm2 sensitivity, >10 Km detection range and 0.4 – 2.5 um spectral coverage

Keywords:
Laser Warning, Atmospheric Scattering, Optical Sensors, Optical Sources, Avalanche Photodiode, Optical Filters, Roic, Photoreceiver, Apd Arrays .