Heterogeneous Silicon Photonics OFDR Sensing System

Luna will team with Dr. John Bowers of UCSB to develop an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) system-on-chip using heterogeneous silicon photonics to enable a minimal weight structural health monitoring system. This system-on-chip will be the building block for distributed sensing interrogation systems that are the size of a deck of playing cards. This lightweight, rugged, and miniature system will enable OFDR-based SHM sensing applications in space, where size and weight constraints are paramount. Phase I will prove the feasibility of using the heterogeneous silicon tuning laser chip developed by UCSB to drive an OFDR sensor in the laboratory, culminating with a distributed strain measurement in a composite part. During Phase II, Luna will develop a full OFDR system-on-chip, demonstrating the miniaturization and weight savings necessary for deep space SHM applications. Overcoming technical hurdles in laser tuning, polarization control, and delay line length are critical to successful commercialization of the innovation for SHM sensing, and will provide advancement in the state-of-the-art of silicon photonics and structural health monitoring.