TREX ENTERPRISES CORPORATION — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: Fiber Optic Rotary Joints allow optical signals carried by fiber optic cables to traverse

Description

Fiber Optic Rotary Joints allow optical signals carried by fiber optic cables to traverse a rotating interface (for example between the rotating and stationary parts of a piece of equipment). Devices such as slip-rings exist to allow traditional electrical signals to traverse a rotating interface with low loss, but currently existing Fiber Optic Rotary Joints tend to have much higher losses than their electrical counterparts. Trex Enterprises has invented several novel approaches to Fiber Optic Rotary Joints that have the potential to exhibit lower loss and higher reliability than competing technologies. In addition, they contain fewer parts that would exhibit wear, are bi-directional, wavelength independent, and could likely operate at higher rotational speeds than competing approaches. In this Phase II program, Trex Enterprises will construct some of these novel Fiber Optic Rotary Joints, as well as a Fiber Optic Rotary Joint Test Bed to demonstrate them. Trex will quantify and improve these rotary joint designs particularly for implementation in rotating phased array radar and EW systems.