SBIR Phase II: Chalcogenide Polymer Infrared Optics

Award ID: 2129415

The broader impact and commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to improve the optics and lenses used in near infrared 3D imaging. Glass lenses, which have excellent transmittance and thermal properties, are used in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and rangefinders for distances beyond a few tens of meters. Polymer lenses, which are moldable and lower cost, are typically used in consumer-mobile 3D cameras and emerging automotive LiDAR systems. The refractive indices of these lenses limit the numerical aperture and require longer-than-desired lens barrels. The proposed polymeric chalcogenide lenses combine infrared transmittance, index, and thermal properties with the cost and moldability of optical polymers. The innovation enables the molding of freeform polymer lenses with increased numerical aperture and reduced barrel lengths. These properties make possible more compact, lighter, and lower cost 3D imagers. With these advantages, rangefinders can be more easily carried and scan faster and smartphone cameras can have wider viewing angles. Additionally, LiDAR systems can image more accurately around a vehicle and improve both driver and pedestrian safety. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project seeks to advance sulfur polymer chemistry and materials processing for the development of a new class of near infrared (NIR) optical components. Innovative chemical synthesis and infrared fingerprint engineering has led to the development of a new class of optical polymers with the potential for imaging applications in the NIR. As a result of extensive optical and mechanical characterization, including the determination of the optical constants over the full infrared spectrum, measurement of mechanical properties such as the coefficient of thermal expansion, measurement of thermo-optic coefficients, and determination of stress-optic coefficients, the materials will now be developed and integrated for product applications with innovative optical designs based on material's unique property set. Freeform optical design concepts will be used which, to date, have not often been used in infrared imaging. Such designs may lead to more compact, lighter, and higher performance optical systems for infrared imaging applications, further leveraging the advantages of the material's transmission spectrum, incorporating absorption, bulk scattering and surface scattering, and surface scattering contributions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Benaiah Schrag