SBIR-STTR Award

High-Speed Free-Space Optical Link for Cryogenic Focal Plane Array Read-Out
Award last edited on: 9/18/2018

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : Army
Total Award Amount
$599,885
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
A17-022
Principal Investigator
Daniel Renner

Company Information

Freedom Photonics LLC (AKA: Advanced Life Technologies LLC)

41 Aero Camino
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
   (805) 867-4900
   info@freedomphotonics.com
   www.freedomphotonics.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 24
County: Santa Barbara

Phase I

Contract Number: W911NF-17-P-0061
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
2017
Phase I Amount
$99,928
Freedom Photonics and the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) have partnered to develop a novel free-space optical (FSO) link that will enable high-speed interconnects operating at multi-tens of Gbps, which are required for the newer, cryogenically cooled, large format, high definition (HD), fast frame rate, focal plane array (FPA) readout integrated circuits (ROIC). Cooled focal plane array technology is found in many Army missile guidance systems, such as the FGM-148 Javelin. By using free-space optics to collect data from the ROIC through a window in the dewar, it is possible not only to provide a large bandwidth interconnect but to also eliminate the thermal conduction losses through copper wires, which in turn will reduce the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of the system.

Phase II

Contract Number: W911NF-18-C-0096
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
2019
Phase II Amount
$499,957
The team led by Freedom Photonics will develop in this program a novel free-space optical (FSO) link that will enable high-speed interconnects operating at multi-tens of Gbps, which are required for the newer, cryogenically cooled, large format, high definition (HD), fast frame rate, focal plane array (FPA) readout integrated circuits (ROIC). By using free-space optics to collect data from the ROIC through a window in the dewar, it is possible not only to provide a large bandwidth interconnect but to also eliminate the thermal conduction losses through copper wires, which in turn will reduce the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of the system.The proposed FSO interconnect architecture offers the most practical approach to providing the high bandwidth required to make military imaging possible at much higher frame rates and with larger format FPAs.