IRRADIANT TECHNOLOGIES INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N211-005

Description

Most nanofabrication techniques currently rely on 2D and 2.5D patterning strategies. Over the past two decades, direct laser writing methods have allowed for the single-step fabrication of self-supporting, polymeric 3D nanostructures; however, many nanostructures, such as GRIN lenses, waveguides, or resonators arranged in discontinuous 3D patterns, are not possible. This raised the need to develop a versatile 3D nanofabrication strategy that allows independent control over the geometry, feature size, and chemical composition of the final material. To address this need, we invented ‘Implosion Fabrication’ (ImpFab), a fundamentally new technology enabling scalable, multimaterial, 3D nanofabrication in any geometry. We propose to design and develop a broadband, fully-3D, gradient refractive index (GRIN) Luneburg lens-based NMBS that can achieve a near 2p steradian FoR with near diffraction-limited resolution and no off-axis aberrations while also meeting other requirements for size, power, beam quality, aperture, and P2P steering speed. Irradiant Technologies is uniquely able to develop this MWIR NMBS solution through our revolutionary 3D nanofabrication platform: Implosion Fabrication, which enables scalable, multi-material, 3D nanofabrication in any geometry.