NSF Award
0338906
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Project proposes to develop the fabrication technology for an astronomical holographic multi-spectral filter that increases the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of ground-based observations at near-infrared wavelengths by suppressing the narrow lines emitted from atmospheric OH radicals. Many astronomers have recognized that large gains in SNR can be obtained if the OH background could be suppressed. SNR is proportional to the diameter of the telescope. The potential threefold gain in SNR achieved by adding the proposed filter to the Keck 10 meter telescope would thus be equivalent to increasing its diameter to 30 meters, which is estimated to cost five hundred million dollars. In contrast, the cost of the proposed efficient multi-spectral filters is three orders of magnitude less.<br/><br/>This project should have a direct impact on applications requiring fine multi-spectral information for accurate substance identification in remote sensing and life sciences. In remote sensing, the design and fabrication of arbitrary narrow multi-band filter profile are powerful tools for global measurements of atmospheric gases of Earth and other planets as well as remote sensing of toxic gases for Homeland Security. The spectral response of the holographic filter can be tailored to match precisely the absorption spectrum of given gases with high sensitivity. With multiple absorption or emission peaks detected simultaneously, the detection sensitivity will be increased greatly compared with traditional methods, and the required data volumes will decrease by several orders of magnitude, which makes it very attractive for remote sensing applications.
