Broadband beam steering for MWIR applications

ABSTRACT: Broadband beam steering technology for infrared countermeasures (IRCM) is proposed.To enable this low cost, size, weight and power (C-SWaP) subsystem, wide angle non-mechanical beam steering (NMBS) will be implemented using liquid crystal polarization grating technology. The technology will be evaluated for compatibility with MWIR wavelengths and the IRCM mission.For Phase I Boulder Nonlinear Systems and our teaming partners, Exciting Technology and LC Vision, propose to build wide angle beam steering components and demonstrate steering two separate MWIR wavelengths to the same spatial position. We will also investigate the feasibility of developing modified ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures for MWIR applications.Efforts to mitigate wavelength dispersion will be explored and different switches for the beam control system will also be investigated. Finally we will design a prototype beam control system to be implemented in Phase II.; BENEFIT: The effort proposed here represents an improvement to IRCM systems in that it has the potential to replace existing mechanical systems with a low C-SWaP non-mechanical broadband beam steering solution. Several DoD and commercial airborne platforms could benefit from a low C-SWaP IRCM beam control system. In addition, other MWIR applications such as passive sensing would benefit.