Photonic Crystal Fiber-Based High Sensitivity Gas Sensor, Phase II

Los Gatos Research, Inc. proposes to develop a lightweight, compact, rugged, near and mid-infrared gas-sensing spectroscopy instrument to accurately measure the abundance of various gases on Mars and other extra-terrestrial bodies. These gases include methane, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. This instrument will be a fully autonomous, stand-alone, remotely operable all fiber-based spectroscopy sensor capable of measuring gases in a Martian environment. The proposed prototype sensor includes the novel use of hollow photonic crystal fibers, which further enables accurate measurement of even small samples of gas. The project will also leverage Los Gatos Research's prior work developing rugged, autonomous gas sensors for extreme environments that NASA is currently using.

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.