Development of Advanced, High Power UV LED Based Emitter Modules in Support of the Towed Optical Plume Simulator

Physical Sciences Inc., working with support from Sensor Electronics Technology Inc. (SETi), the leading supplier of high power deep ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) in the United States, proposes to develop an advanced ultraviolet (UV) illuminator assembly that will exceed Air Force defined threshold key performance parameters (KPPs) and thereby substantially improve the capability of missile plume signature simulation tools, such as the towed optical plume simulator (TOPS).In Phase I, PSI plans to develop a single-emitter deep-UV LED module that will form that basis for the integrated UV emitter assembly.The module will be comprised of advanced deep-UV LED components from SETis research labs and commercial off the shelf aspheric lenses selected during a Phase I optical modeling task and is expected to increase the module radiant intensity by a factor of 2 compared to the current TOPS emitter.Further advancements of deep-UV LEDs in Phase II and implementation of custom optical designs developed in Phase I will increase the module radiant intensity by an additional factor of five (10x total). A fully integrated UV illuminator assembly will be fabricated and tested on the TOPS system during Phase II.