SBIR Phase II: Reducing size and cost of optical devices with nanomanufacturing - a novel use of disk drive technology

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is in advanced manufacturing. This project will develop a low cost, small-footprint high-resolution nanomanufacturing platform for building optical devices that are traditionally manufactured using cleanroom microlithography. Compared with modern cleanroom approaches that require significantly more complicated and expensive facilities, this platform holds strong promise to build visible-to-infrared wavelength optical components that are both smaller and lower cost, in order to serve the fiber-optic sensor, telecommunications, and lens markets. If this platform can deliver optics components that meet specifications, demand could reach 8-figures for a single customer, thus transforming optics manufacturing across the entire spectrum of markets that use photonics: biomedical, energy, military, and consumer. If it meets the needs of the photonics sector, this platform could penetrate a much broader commercial marketplace such as information technology, nanoelectronics and personalized low-cost consumer devices. The scientific and technological understanding created by developing this platform could enable businesses to leverage low-cost US-based nanomanufacturing to address markets for advanced materials and components around the world. This project will commercialize an innovative nanomanufacturing platform for producing diffractive optical elements (DOEs) with potential to reduce component cost and size. Recently fiber-optic communications has expanded beyond its traditional function of long haul or backbone communications. Reducing the size, cost and complexity of optical components could allow DOEs to further expand their reach. Ideally the functionality of these components could be built right onto the end of an optical fiber. The proposed technology could allow true fiber-to-fiber components at a cost equal to or less than currently available optical components. It could further allow for sensing capabilities of "lab on a fiber" with the lab incorporated onto the end-face of a fiber. The project will focus on scaling the nanomanufacturing capability demonstrated during Phase I for end product prototype demonstrations that incorporate the DOEs.