NASA 1996 STTR Phase I
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Proposal Number:
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960056
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Project Title:
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COST-EFFECTIVE HIGH PRECISION FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR RADIATION-RESISTANT ADVANCED OPTICAL COMPONENTS
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Small Business Concern:
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GELTECH, Inc.Dr.
One Progress Blvd. #8
Alachua, FL 32615
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Research Institution:
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Bethel Valley Road
Oak Ridge, TN 37831
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Principal Investigator/Project Manager:
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Jean-Luc Nogu¸s
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Technical Abstract:
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We propose to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating
inexpensive anamorphic optical elements that combine beam
shaping and focusing functions in one element that are suitable
for space applications using a novel Fast Tool Servo to produce
molds for replication by glass pressing. Suitable commercially
available cerium oxide-doped radiation-resistant glass will be
used, for example, F2G12, that will make these new elements
appropriate for use in ionizing radiation environments.
Anamorphic optical elements map rotationally-symmetric
intensity distributions into non-rotationally-symmetric
conjugates (or the inverse). A multi-function anamorphic
system that is either refractive or diffractive or both can
simultaneously collimate and circularize the beam emitted by a
semiconductor laser using fewer optical elements, can reduce
the size of fiber-optic communications systems and
simultaneously ensure good coupling efficiency, increasing the
signal-to-noise performance. Availability of multi-function
anamorphic optical elements will revolutionize space-based and
terrestrial applications such as optical communications,
optical instrumentation, optical metrology, and consumer
optical products, such as optical disks and laser printers.
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Potential Commercial Applications:
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Simultaneous collimating and circularizing of laser diode beams
for optical storage read/write channels, coupling and focusing
of laser diode beams for fiber coupling in communications
systems, unique anamorphic optical elements for optical disk
focusing and tracking servos, beam delivery systems for laser
printers, and beam correctors for conformal windows in flight
and weapons systems.