Long Wavelength Acousto-optic Tunable Filters for Multispectral Imaging Applications

Utilizing recently available exceptional mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2) acousto-optic material having the largest known optical filter figure of merit, we propose to develop a state-of-the-art high speed and wide-bandwidth long-wavelength acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). The proposed device has the desirable performance attributes of wide operating wavelength range, low optical loss, low power consumption, large aperture, large acceptance angle, high extinction, compactness, low mass, and high robustness. This proposed non-mechanical (true solid-state) optical device is ideally suited for multispectral imaging applications in that it offers continuous tuning over between 0.4 and 20 ¦Im with at tuning speed up to 10 KHz and is fully compatible with conventional IR imagers. Our approach innovatively overcomes the difficulties associated with commercial fabrication of acousto-optic devices by utilizing this new family of materials. A fabrication process will be developed to address device manufacturing requirements that are unique for Hg2Cl2 acousto-optic tunable filter fabrication. Moreover, coupling with Agiltron¡_s unique capability of producing high speed LWIR camera, this program further enables multispectral imaging system solution. In Phase I, extensive device simulations will be carried out to optimize the fabrication parameters, a prototype functional mercurous chloride based AOTF will be fabricated to demonstrate feasibility, and performance improvements will be assessed.