CFD RESEARCH CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF222-0001

Description

Guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems are extremely important in numerous DoD and commercial applications. While many of these systems successfully employ Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, there are an increasing number of applications where this service is not available and platforms must rely on wide-field-of-view electro-optical systems to aid in inertial navigation. Wide-field-of-view optics are generally bulky and heavy, requiring large stacks of refractive lenses to achieve adequate imaging quality. In this work, we will develop wide-field-of-view, broadband meta-optics with drastically reduced weight and form factors. Meta-optics are periodic, two-dimensional arrays with spatially variant subwavelength features that provide arbitrary control of phase, amplitude, and polarization. We will investigate three meta-optic design concepts using inverse design and machine learning techniques. Quantitative metrics such as focusing efficiency and modulation transfer function will be assessed over the entire field of view and operational bandwidth. We will also consider manufacturability and durability of each design. By the end of Phase I, we expect to have a demonstrated meta-optic concept, validated through simulations with open-source tools, allowing us to further develop and experimentally demonstrate this technology in Phase II and beyond.