Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: A15-077

Description

To address the Armys need for improved sensor technologies that blend synergistically into the aerostat environment, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Optical Aperture Synthesis Imaging Sensor (OASIS) system. The proposed OASIS system is based on the novel integration of a coherent distributed aperture telescope array, a solid-state laser array, a dispersion compensated optical waveguide, high-resolution CMOS sensor arrays, and real-time Fourier telescopy image processor electronics to provide a unique airborne sensor solution. The innovative use of coherent phase-locked distributed telescopes and active illumination lasers, together with imaging sensors phase-coupled via local oscillator reference, results in day/night long-range coherent imaging with a large effective aperture of minimum size (volume), weight, and power, with high resolution and pointing accuracy, while mitigating atmospheric disturbances. In Phase I, POC will design and perform an initial proof-of-principle OASIS system via modeling and simulation for application on an airborne platform, and demonstrate its feasibility by a laboratory setup. In Phase II, a benchtop breadboard prototype OASIS system will be constructed using scaled components. The prototype will demonstrate the active Fourier telescopy method for real-time compensation of the flexure/torsion effect on baseline change, demonstrating its suitability for aircraft, aerostat, or UAV applications.