Nanostructured Super-Black Optical Materials

Need: NASA faces challenges in imaging and characterizing faint astrophysical objects within the glare of brighter stellar sources. Achieving a very low background requires control of both scattered and diffracted light. Significance of the Innovation: Aligned arrays of carbon nanotubes have recently been recognized as having world-leading optical absorption, far above competing state of the art materials. The nanotube array's diffuse reflectance (10-7) was demonstrated at two orders of magnitude lower than commercially available low reflectance carbons (10-5). The integrated total reflectance 0.045%, bested the field of competing materials, which are typically >1% at optical wavelengths. However, these arrays were produced on silicon, so they have limited utility for aerospace applications. NanoLab identified the potential to grow these arrays on flexible substrates, and proposed a Phase I effort to explore their properties.

The need for stray light control is pervasive, throughout multiple NASA missions. Among the applications we have considered for the aligned arrays, some are 'Aerospace only." These include: IR detector cold shields, coronagraph baffles, space-borne optical systems, spectro-radiometers, cryogenic radiometers, occulters, sharp edged diaphragms & blades, and passive thermal control coatings w/ tailored absorptance/emittance. We expect that these coatings, once advanced to a sufficient TRL, will be able to provide significant enhancements to a number of missions. The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) and New Worlds Technology Development Program (NWTP) are two target programs where we recognize the coating could have a dramatic impact on the performance of the optical train.

The Non-NASA, optical applications we have identified for the coating includes: black layer for contrast enhancement in displays and LED modules, solar energy absorbers,thermal radiation detectors (bolometers), laser energy sensors, black body sources and calibrators, and optical packaging for cameras, telescopes, & microscopes. Non-optical applications are also possible using a variant of this technology. These include: High performance supercapacitors, battery electrodes, chemical sensors /detectors, field emission cathodes (xray sources, electric propulsion, microscopy), thermal interface materials thermoacoustic loudspeakers, nanotube yarns, super-hydrophobic coatings, and gecko foot adhesives.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — 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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