Heterogeneous Silicon Photonics OFDR Sensing System

Luna will team with Dr. John Bowers of UCSB to continue development of an Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) system-on-chip using heterogeneous silicon photonics to enable a minimal weight structural health monitoring system. This system-on-chip will be the building block for distributed sensing interrogation systems that are the size of a deck of playing cards. This lightweight, rugged, and miniature system will enable OFDR-based SHM sensing applications in space, where size and weight constraints are paramount. Phase I successfully proved the feasibility of the heterogeneous silicon tuning laser chip and distributed fiber optic sensing using a silicon OFDR chip in the laboratory. During Phase II, Luna will optimize the silicon tuning laser and OFDR designs in preparation for fabrication of a full OFDR system-on-chip, demonstrating the miniaturization and weight savings necessary for deep space SHM applications. Overcoming technical hurdles in laser tuning, polarization control, and delay line length are critical to successful commercialization of the innovation for SHM sensing, and will provide advancement in the state-of-the-art of silicon photonics and structural health monitoring.