SBIR Phase IB: Nanomanufactured optical elements for fiber optic connectors

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in the field of advanced manufacturing. This project develops a low cost, high resolution nanomanufacturing technology platform for building optical fiber devices with approaches that are currently out of reach because of manufacturing cost. While both size and cost reductions are needed for this technology to address the optical component market, if successful, demand could reach 8 figures for a single customer. This technology could thus transform optics manufacturing across the entire spectrum of markets that use photonics: including biomedical, energy, military, and consumer markets. If it meets the needs of the photonics sector, this platform, which uses a template to assemble building blocks into composite materials, could penetrate a much broader commercial marketplace. One example includes extending additive manufacturing (3D printing) to nanoelectronics, information technology, and personalized low-cost manufacturing of consumer devices. The scientific and technological understanding created by developing this platform could enable businesses to leverage low-cost U.S.-based nanomanufacturing to address markets for advanced materials and components around the world. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will miniaturize optical fiber components that are used in fiber optical line cards, by leveraging an advanced nanomanufacturing platform with potential to reduce component cost as well. These optical line cards contain many cylindrical components that are 5 mm in diameter, each of which performs different operations on the optical signals coming into the card, and then routes certain signals to output optical signals. Being able to reduce component size means optical fiber component manufacturers can pack more components into a given physical space, or reduce the overall footprint of a line card without negatively impacting performance or increasing cost. Phase I research activities will include assembling prototype components with diameters approaching 1 mm, verifying that component performance can approach that of current devices, and evaluating specific manufacturing and assembly strategies to assess size reduction and manufacturing cost. Expected results include performance data and an accurate forecast of the required technical innovations and trade-offs needed to reduce component size without increasing manufacturing cost.