Ultrafast Laser Material Processing: Welding, Drilling and Waveguide Inscription, Year 1

Completed TRL 1 (started at 1, targeting 1)

Description

This CIF represents an initial effort to leverage current university-based research for an advanced, micron level manufacturing technique suitable for sensors and miniature components for instruments. Key to this process is tight control of an Ultrafast (150 femtosecond) laser. This technique also has a direct path to enhancing the new and exciting area of photonics integrated circuits (PIC). Future opportunities such as ESTO's ACT, IIP, EVIs, EVM's, Planetary Sciences' PIDD, MatiSSE, New Frontiers, Discovery, etc. will require more advanced laser instrumentation to meet their science requirements. These systems would, for example, need new wavelengths for generation via nonlinear optical frequency conversion, addition of a highly sophisticated PIC to realize tunable/single frequency laser sources, and "optical features" such as volume Bragg gratings that act as end reflectors or spectral control mechanism in laser resonator. This new laser fabrication technology could be instrumental in enabling such developments. PICs would help in integration of electro-optics components in a small package thus reducing size, weight and power (SWaP) for resource-limited missions. Near term goals are to demonstrate glass-to-metal welding and micromachining shortly thereafter.

Benefits

This effort seeks to develop new material processing capabilities by using an Ultrafast laser to perform welds between dissimilar materials (such as glass to metal), laser drilling of small holes without heating of the surrounding material, and ultimately inscribing waveguides inside of glass; this last application is of great interest. When brought to a focus within a glass the high peak intensities of the laser pulse can change the index of refraction of the material. This allows waveguides and other optical structures to be written directly within bulk glass. This is a critical capability which will greatly facilitate the creation of Photonic Integrated Circuits. Also, of special near-term interest to NASA is the capability of Ultrafast lasers to weld glass to metal, especially at small sizes for lab-on-a-chip application, which can replace the currently used epoxies that are leak-prone and may outgas onto sensors/optics.

Details

Technology area	Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Lasers
Program	Center Innovation Fund: GSFC CIF (GSFC CIF)
Lead organization	Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Start date	2016-10-01
End date	2017-07-01

Project contacts

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

Robert E Lafon — robert.lafon@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 1) — 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.