Rapid monolith development at scale is achieved through use of a functionally equivalent optic simulant made from a low-cost material to substitute the functional optic. Monolith optical performance is affected not only by thermal expansion but also by temperature inhomogeneity due to the temperature dependence of refractive index.
Keywords
- Show all (208)
- Instrumentation (39)
- Additive Manufacturing (37)
- Sensors (16)
- Synthesis and Processing (16)
- Diagnostics (13)
- Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) (9)
- Electric Grid (8)
- Imaging Systems (8)
- 3D Printing (7)
- Materials for Energy Products (7)
- Carbon Utilization (6)
- Semiconductors (6)
- Data Science (5)
- Laser Materials Processing (5)
- Therapeutics (5)
- Cybersecurity (4)
- Material Design (4)
- (-) Compact Space Telescopes (5)
- (-) Diode Lasers (4)
- (-) Optical Switches (4)
Technology Portfolios
![MonoTel Compact Monolithic Space Telescope](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/MonoTel%20Compact%20Monolithic%20Space%20Telescope.png?itok=G-ETi6O8)
Aeroptics are a proposed new class of monolithic optical system in aerogel fabricated by molding around a master mandrel. This approach combines the intrinsic stability of proven monolithic telescopes, with the ultralow density of silica aerogels. In Aeroptics, the monolith is hollow with an aerogel substrate providing a supporting structure. Theoretically, Aeroptics could enable 1-m aperture…
![Adobe Stock image laser beam](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/stockimage_laserbeam.png?itok=U06HtIhR)
This invention proposes to engineer the current density along the length of a laser diode to overcome the penalty associated with non-uniformity resulting from asymmetry in the gain, photon or carrier density despite having uniform contact. Optimizing the current density profile enables diode lasers to operate with greater power conversion efficiency or operate with equivalent power conversion…
![Schematic showing mismatched coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) coating](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/IL-13312_Schematic.png?itok=5MN8Mf-U)
This invention proposes to engineer the temperature dependence of the emission wavelength of LEDs and laser diodes. The approach is to use a strain-inducing coating to counteract the intrinsic temperature coefficient of the emission wavelength of the LED or laser diode device thereby rendering it athermal. This invention avoids additional complexity, size, weight and power dissipation of…
![Photoconductive Semiconductor Laser Diodes and LEDs](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/Photoconductive%20Semiconductor%20Laser%20Diodes%20and%20LEDs.png?itok=n50p3rOY)
This invention proposes a method to overcome the key limitation of electrically pumped lasers based on AlN, AlGaN, or AlInGaN, namely the lack of suitable shallow donor and acceptor dopants. As the band gap of these materials increases (and the emission wavelength decreases), both electrons and holes require greater thermal energies in order to ionize.
![Adobe Stock image laser beam](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-02/stockimage_laserbeam.png?itok=U06HtIhR)
Laser diode lensing effect can be substantially reduced by creating a pattern interface such that the substrate is only attached at the diode mesa. This is achieved by either creating a pattern solder joint and/or pattern substrate.
![OALV design with High-k Photoconductor and High-k Optical Window](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/OALV%20design.png?itok=xMV74hXb)
LLNL researchers has developed designs to augment WBG/UWBG-based OALVs to improve their power handling capability under CW operational environments. These designs include:
![MonoTel Compact Monolithic Space Telescope](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/MonoTel%20Compact%20Monolithic%20Space%20Telescope.png?itok=G-ETi6O8)
This invention achieves both a wider field of view and faster f-number within a monolithic substrate by incorporating an aspheric convex refractive first surface and a planar aspheric field corrector surface on the final refractive surface. These two refractive surfaces work in conjunction with a concave aspheric primary and convex aspheric secondary mirror (e.g. Cassegrain type) to improve…
![Segments of transmission line lengths can be switched to open circuit (as shown) or shorted to the ground (not shown)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/Segments%20of%20tranmission%20line%20lengths.png?itok=FF0qaBGw)
Design and construction of a photoconductive switch requires a diamond photoconductor illuminated by light of a certain excitation wavelength. The diamond material is specifically doped with substitutional nitrogen, which act as a source of electrons. The device architecture allows maximum light entering the aperture. The top and bottom electrodes are made of ultra wide band gap (UWBG)…
![Annular illumination on photo conductor by Conical Total Internal Reflection “CTIR” endcap](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2023-05/CONIFR.png?itok=L4wSanXF)
The approach is to use a custom-designed frustrum and attach it to the optical fiber that connects to the PCSS. Light from the fiber enters the frustrum, spreads out, and enters the PCSS. Any unabsorbed light re-enters the frustrum and, because of its geometry, reflects back into the PCSS itself with only a negligible fraction escaping from the fiber. The shape of the novel frustrum is…
![monolithic_telescope.png monolithic_telescope](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2019-08/monolithic_telescope.png?itok=s7ZajArc)
Monolithic Telescopes are a novel implementation of a solid catadioptric design form, instantiated in a monolithic block of fused silica.
![AgAg2S reference electrode](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/AgAg2S%20reference%20electrode.jpg?itok=kL2OzfHy)
LLNL has developed a reference electrode that is a great improvement on the widely used silver or platinum wire QRE commonly used in electrochemistry in ionic liquids. This new reference electrode, based on a silver-sulfide coated silver wire, exhibits greatly improved stability over a QRE. The stability of our RE approaches that of the Ag/Ag+ RE, but unlike the Ag/Ag+ RE, the RE reported here…
![Space-based Telescopes for Actionable Refinement of Ephemeris (STARE)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/STARE.jpg?itok=nUdNYjfG)
LLNL is developing the Space-based Telescopes for Actionable Refinement of Ephemeris (STARE). STARE is a constellation of low cost nano-satellites (less than 5Kg) in low-earth orbit dedicated to the observation of space debris in conjunction with a ground-based infrastructure for maintenance, coordination and data processing. Each nano-satellite in the constellation is capable of recording an…
![OTV Image](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-02/OTV%20Image.png?itok=KEAmHqpM)
The Optical Transconductance Varistor (OTV, formerly Opticondistor) overcomes depletion region voltage limitations by optically exciting wide bandgap materials in a compact package. A 100μm thick crystal could have the capability approaching 40kV and would replace numerous equivalent junction devices. Thus, unlike present junction transistors or diodes, this wide bandgap device can be stacked…