SBIR-STTR Award

High Efficiency Low Weight W-Band PolyStrata Antenna
Award last edited on: 11/20/2018

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : Navy
Total Award Amount
$816,493
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
N132-087
Principal Investigator
Jean-Marc Rollin

Company Information

Nuvotronics LLC

7586 Old Peppers Ferry Loop
Radford, VA 24141
   (800) 341-2333
   sales@nuvotronics.com
   www.nuvotronics.com
Location: Multiple
Congr. District: 09
County: Radford city

Phase I

Contract Number: M67854-14-C-6511
Start Date: 11/1/2013    Completed: 5/31/2014
Phase I year
2014
Phase I Amount
$149,986
Nuvotronics is proposing to Navy SBIR number N132-087 to develop novel high efficiency, light weight, low manufacturing cost 94 GHz antenna modules toward future Active Denial Technology systems. RF passive components based on waveguides are generally very low loss but are heavy, expensive to machine at high frequency and bulky. Components based on substrate material such as ceramic or printed circuit board can provide lower weight but exhibit high loss especially at high frequencies. To provide RF components and modules with low loss, compact and low weight, Nuvotronics is proposing to design a new 94 GHz antenna array module based on our proven PolyStrata integrated transmission line and our 3D micro-fabrication technology. PolyStrata offers unprecedented performance in propagation loss, ultra-high efficiency antenna elements, interconnections, and high performance packaging at mm-wave frequency suitable to provide substantial improvement performance, size and weight.

Benefit:
Nuvotronics' approach will reduce the overall size of current Active Denial system while also significantly reducing overall weight. Additionally as the micro-fabricated coax offer very low loss propagation, higher power can be achieved with fewer amplifiers therefore reducing the thermal and DC power requirements and improving the total added efficiency. Using the PolyStrata batch manufacturing process, larger and more reproducible RF parts can be fabricated reducing the assembly and system cost.

Keywords:
PolyStrata, PolyStrata, low loss combiner, Active Denial, Antenna array, 3D-interconnections, W-Band, Packaging

Phase II

Contract Number: M67854-15-C-6504
Start Date: 11/16/2018    Completed: 11/23/2020
Phase II year
2015
Phase II Amount
$666,507
A very fast 1xN optical switch capable of handling high-optical power is proposed. It is designed for switching laser power from a central source to multiple outputs using photonic switch technology that does not have any mechanical moving parts. It is designed to have a very compact size and high-reliability operation suitable for airborne environment. The switching speed will be >10 W of optical power.

Benefit:
Air vehicle platforms are limited in their ability to accommodate increases in weight, volume and power demands. A fast 1xN optical switch that can handle high-optical power can provide a means to distribute the laser energy from a central location over a fiber-optic network to different locations on the plane.

Keywords:
LASER, fiber-coupling, Photonic, FIBER-OPTIC, Switch, fiber-port