SBIR Phase I:High Performance Nano-Polarizer for OFC

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate polarization effects in mono-layers of evaporative deposited prolate metal nano-spheroids in order to fabricate low-cost, high performance polarizing optical coatings. Recent investigations of nano-spheroid arrays have resulted in a major technical innovation for achieving high performance polarization in the spectral region from 1300 nm to 1650 nm. Techniques for fabricating these polarizing nano-spheroid (PNS) layers will be investigated in order to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating near-IR polarizing coatings. The research effort will consist of assembly of test equipment for precision characterization of the nano-spheroids, development of PNS mono-layers with high performance characteristics, encapsulation of the PNS layers in a dielectric matrix and demonstration of a multi-layer PNS polarizing coating. Commercially, a high performance PNS polarizing coating will provide a low-cost alternative to expensive glass polarizers now used in Optical Fiber Communications components including optical isolators, high-frequency modulators, and fiber tip coatings for Metro and Home optical fiber links.