Phase-change Reconfigurable Optical WavEfront Synthesis System (PROWESS)

We propose PROWESS to address the issues of wavefront control and bulky adaptive optics and steering systems in LiDAR and other imaging systems by developing an actively tunable metasurface for wavefront correction and beam steering in real time. The advantage over SOA adaptive optics systems is the drastic reduction in SWaP achieved by moving from bulk optics and mechanical components to a planar metasurface. After completing this project, air-/space-borne LiDAR and imaging systems will have significantly less SWaP taken up by adaptive optics, effectively freeing up on-board space and power resources for other instruments or computing capabilities, etc. We anticipate that fabrication of the transparent electrodes might delay our project and have closely coordinated with our partners at MIT to ensure that IRAD program timelines can be met to deliver the final pixelated metalens. We have also identified a commercial foundry partner, AIM Photonics, as a secondary option.

By the end of FY23 IRAD period of performance, we intend to have an initial beam steerer design that will serve as a starting point for design optimization in FY24. In FY23, we have begun the design of such beam steering devices and have successfully demonstrated fabrication capabilities to rapidly test different designs. As the TRL for the PROWESS concept advances, there will be multiple opportunities to initiate collaborations with other NASA Centers and outside partners to explore infusion of PROWESS technology into current research portfolios. As an example, the PROWESS team has met with researchers at NASA Goddard to discuss how this technology can be infused into FSO communication testbeds currently under development and operation (one example being LCOT). There are additional opportunities to infuse PROWESS into work being conducted at NASA Glenn for beam steering applications. These opportunities lend themselves to future proposals (e.g, ACT, Early Career Initiative, capability enhancement, etc.). As an additional benefit, this project has been leveraged to fund a NASA Postdoc Program (NPP) position via NASA HQ for the duration of the PROWESS IRAD (FY23 and FY24).

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.

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