Tunable Narrow-Band Bi-Photon Source in IR Spectral Region for Calibration of High-Performance Transition-Edge Sensors

Completed TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)

Description

The overall goal of this NASA STTR effort is to develop a compact fully integrated tunable narrowband bi-photon source operating in the Visible/IR spectral region for calibration and characterization of high-performance transition-edge sensors (TES) arrays under development at NASA Goddard as well as other research facilities throughout U.S. The key innovation in this effort is combining waveguide-based spontaneous parametric down conversion with onboard wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) for efficient generation and fiber coupling of narrowband photon pairs in the near to mid IR spectral region.

Benefits

• characterization, optimization, and calibration of photon starved detectors • foundation for quantum-repeater based satellite quantum network • quantum metrology for precision space-based navigation • space-based entanglement tests of quantum and gravitational theories • high rate quantum communication • ghost imaging • quantum telescope

• quantum key distribution • quantum networking • quantum metrology • linear optical quantum computation

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Detectors and Focal Planes
Program	Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
Lead organization	ADVR, Inc., Bozeman, MT
Start date	2020-08-31
End date	2021-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

John E Sadleir — john.e.sadleir@nasa.gov
John Sadleir — John.E.Sadleir@nasa.gov
Andrew Hohne
Katherine Bryant

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.