Aqua-Ionic Detector

To address the Navy need for Ionic Channel Amplifier technology to measure the electromagnetic spectrum from DC to 100 HZ emulating the Ampullae of Lorenzini, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) has developed and demonstrated a new Aqua Ionic Detector (AID) sensor, based on capacitive modulation of the ionic concentration in the channel between two proton-conductive membranes. The AID is based on polymer proton-conductive membranes used as resistive media to measure ion flow and activity, and modulation of the ionic current by variation of the redox potential in the internal ionic channel. This enables AID to directly detect low-frequency EM fields in seawater, emulating the capability found in elasmobranchii (rays and sharks) to facilitate localization and classification of low-signature hostile objects or vehicles in challenging, noise filled littoral water environments. The AID can sense changes in the local electrical field on the order of 0.1 nA/cm^2 in approximately 1 ms. In Phase I, POC demonstrated AID feasibility by fabricating a laboratory scale AID sensor and successfully demonstrating its operation. In Phase II, POC plans to develop a full prototype with three AID sensors (in orthogonal directions), as well as the entire electronics suite, and test the AID sensor system in the ocean.