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Advanced fiber optics for communications and sensing
Active
Description
To leverage spatial mode diversity to increase bandwidth of communications and sensing systems
Benefits
Design and prototype multimode chip coupler and multicore fiber launch. Low-power (Order of 1W) optical communications space transmitters limit deep-space range/data-rates (trade-off between peak power and rate). This effort will address this by designing multi-core fiber launch to spatially multiplex transmitter channels. Single mode photonic integrated circuits (PICs) have limited applicability to inherently multi-mode comm and sensing due to coupling challenge. This effort will address they by design multi-mode chip coupler.
Details
| Technology area | Communications, Navigation, and Orbital Debris Tracking and Characterization Systems |
| Program | Agency Independent Research and Development (A-IRAD) |
| Lead organization | Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH |
| Start date | 2026-10-01 |
| End date | 2027-09-30 |
Project contacts
Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.
How to get involved
This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.
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.