Optical Amplifier Based on Liquid Crystal Holographic Fabry-Perot Etalon

To address the need for an optical amplifier for advanced night vision systems, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new device based on Amplifiction of Light by Liquid Crystal Etalon (ALLICE). This device will be based on a holographic Fabry-Perot etalon with an optically sensitive dye-doped liquid crystal cavity, which will react to NIR radiation but will be largely unaffected by visible light. The two Fabry-Perot Bragg reflectors will be produced holographically using a coherently coupled recording technique, which ensures that any variation in the LC modulating medium is compensated for in the holographic mirrors, allowing high etalon finesse and contrast without expensive, bulky, and heavy optical plates. This will result in a device with high spatial resolution and spectral selectivity, overcoming the drawbacks of the image intensifier tubes, and allowing see-through for most of the cockpit light. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of ALLICE through modeling and system design, culminating in a proof-of-concept demonstration. System characteristics such as size, weight, power requirements, sensitivity, gain, dynamic range, and image quality will be analyzed. In Phase II, POC will develop a prototype optical amplifier that will be demonstrated in the laboratory and in the field.