SBIR-STTR Award

TransWave Photonics proposes a long-wave infrared (LWIR) InP-based waveguide platform capable to deliver >10 W continuous wave power without causing any mirror damage. Our waveguides are built on low loss material systems that allow for on-chip long distance light propagation, high-level photonic integration, and monolithic integration of long-wavelength quantum cascade laser sources. Successful demonstration of our proposed work in Phase I will lead to high power damage free waveguide devices as well as high power LWIR source system generating more than 10 W power at room temperature.

Benefit:
The proposed approach will result in compact, high power, long-wave infrared waveguide devices that can be further integrated with high power quantum cascade laser (QCL) photonic integrated circuits. Successful demonstration of the proposed photonic integrated circuits will be immediately beneficial for various military applications including infrared countermeasures, chemical detection, and light detection and ranging, and commercial applications including health care and sensing. Considering health-care and sensing applications that are one of the biggest markets for quantum cascade laser applications, whose global market is projected to reach from $1.4 billion to $2.3 billion, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.9% from USD 800 million in 2020 to 1.5 billion in 2025. The demand for quantum cascade laser photonic integrated circuits for gas sensing applications is expected to be particularly high from oil and gas industries. Given the fact that quantum cascade lasers are already widely used in gas sensing systems, TransWave Photonics expects multiple commercial opportunities for the development of on-chip quantum-cascade-laser-based gas sensors using our proposed photonic integrated circuit technology.

Keywords:
InP, InP, Quantum Cascade Laser, high power, LWIR, photonic integrated circuit, InGaAs