INTELLISENSE SYSTEMS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N221-079

Description

To address the Navy’s need for a low-loss, low-aberration, numerical aperture (NA)-matched microlens array to improve coupling efficiency onto photonic imaging devices, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (Intellisense) proposes to develop a new Achromatic Metalens Array for Photonic Imaging (AMAPHI) based on dielectric metamaterials. The innovation in using a dielectric metalens array will enable different NAs along long and short axes of grating couplers and mode matching for efficient light coupling. The thin, single-layered metalenses and flexibility in manipulation of induced phase shift, group delay (GD), and group delay dispersion (GDD) realize achromatic aberration over a broad bandwidth (>200 nm) in the near infrared (NIR). As a result, the AMAPHI yields a coupling microlens array with achromaticity, low loss, and enhanced optical throughput to photonic imaging devices on photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In Phase I, Intellisense will design the AMAPHI metalenses (60-100 microns in size and <505 microns in thickness) and conduct optical simulation to verify their achromaticity over the NIR band of 700-900 nm, accommodate significantly different NA values along the short and long axes of grating couplers, and show light focusing into a spot on a single plane. We will demonstrate the feasibility by fabricating and characterizing an AMAPHI prototype. The prototype’s performance, such as the coupling efficiency, NA tolerances along both axes, pitch tolerance, and achromaticity over the NIR wavelength range, will be estimated. We will also develop a detailed fabrication plan identifying risks and risk mitigation strategies. In the Phase I Option, we will develop the initial design specifications and establish plans for improved design process and fabrication capabilities. In Phase II, the AMAPHI will be refined based on the Phase I results to improve its performance. We will develop the fabrication process for manufacturing production for high reliability, high throughput, and low cost. Twenty Phase II AMAPHI prototypes with size of > 1 cm by 1 cm and thickness of <1.5 mm will be fabricated and characterized to be integrated with a photonic imaging system suggested by the Navy. We will also characterize surface roughness-induced loss, achromaticity, and NA of the fabricated AMAPHI prototypes as well as the tolerances, and conduct field testing at a Navy facility with specific models designed by the Navy. The measurement results of the AMAPHI prototype will be compared with commercial microlens arrays and optical simulation. Intellisense will evaluate the AMAPHI’s thermal, vibration, and radiation sensitivities by performing tests in compliance with MIL-STD-883L. At the end of Phase II, we will demonstrate a working AMAPHI prototype, develop a Phase III plan for further development and testing as well as volume manufacturing, and be ready for technology transition to the Navy.