IGF::OT::IGF NEED: NASA FACES CHALLENGES IN IMAGING AND CHARACTERIZING FAINT ASTROPHYSICAL OBJECTS WITHIN T…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF NEED: NASA FACES CHALLENGES IN IMAGING AND CHARACTERIZING FAINT ASTROPHYSICAL OBJECTS WITHIN THE GLARE OF BRIGHTER STELLAR SOURCES. ACHIEVING A VERY LOW BACKGROUND REQUIRES CONTROL OF BOTH SCATTERED AND DIFFRACTED LIGHT. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INNOVATION: ALIGNED ARRAYS OF CARBON NANOTUBES HAVE RECENTLY BEEN RECOGNIZED AS HAVING WORLD-LEADING OPTICAL ABSORPTION, FAR ABOVE COMPETING STATE OF THE ART MATERIALS. THE NANOTUBE ARRAY'S DIFFUSE REFLECTANCE (10-7) WAS DEMONSTRATED AT TWO ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE LOWER THAN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE LOW REFLECTANCE CARBONS (10-5). THE INTEGRATED TOTAL REFLECTANCE 0.045%, BESTED THE FIELD OF COMPETING MATERIALS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY>1% AT OPTICAL WAVELENGTHS. HOWEVER, THESE ARRAYS WERE PRODUCED ON SILICON, SO THEY HAVE LIMITED UTILITY FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS. NANOLAB IDENTIFIED THE POTENTIAL TO GROW THESE ARRAYS ON FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATES, AND PROPOSED A PHASE I EFFORT TO EXPLORE THEIR PROPERTIES.