PROGRAM AREA OVERVIEW

48. RESEARCH TO SUPPORT PROLIFERATION DETECTION

The DOE Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NA) sponsors the development of many types of sensors to help detect the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This topic is focused on the development of critical components that will enable or facilitate the field deployment of these sensor systems and data exploitation systems for extracting information and knowledge. Grant applications are sought only in the following subtopics:

a. Manufacturing Support Technologies for Information Exfiltration—Grant applications are sought to develop a method for fabricating millimeter-scale spheres, which have an optical index that varies smoothly and continuously from the center to the surface. The overall objective is to develop miniature spherical retroreflectors with reduced spherical and chromatic aberrations, thereby enabling a broad range of remote detection scenarios. The fabrication technique must be flexible enough to allow a range of index profiles to be created, and the technique must be capable of scaling to low-cost, multiple-copy production. The spheres, which can be made from either organic or inorganic materials, must be optically transparent and have a refractive index differential greater than 0.2. The optical quality of the final product must be capable of providing near diffraction-limited performance.

For further information or to clarify these requirements, please contact Dr. Charles Stevens [(925) 422-6208, stevens2@llnl.gov] at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Contact and discussion is recommended to avoid misunderstandings and unresponsive grant applications.

b. Semi-Structured System for Sharing Data (S4D)—The proliferation of sensor data and associated data exploitation applications, distributed over several national laboratories, are driving the need to effectively manage huge quantities of data, information, and knowledge for collaborative research and analysis. Semi-structured data and XML meta-data are emerging as standards for managing large data sets in multi-national-laboratory and multi-agency applications. This approach offers the benefit of information system integration without disrupting local operations. However, to realize this concept, a semi-structured information management component must be added to each individual laboratory system. Although research on various components and techniques (e.g. XML databases, optimizing XML queries, etc.) is underway, a system that can integrate the semi-structured information management components is required. System level research must be conducted in order to gain insight on how the various pieces of the system will interact and what exactly will be required from each piece.

Therefore, grant applications are sought for the research and design of a semi-structured system for sharing data (S4D). The research should address issues of storage (meta-data views) and search and retrieval (data, information, and analysis results), but not collection (which is mission specific and locally managed) or use (local applications). The S4D design goals should include: (1) minimizing the amount of structure, in order to maximize the diversity of data supported; (2) uniform handling of diverse data; (3) data modeling that maintains the semantics of the data; (4) the support of dynamic data resource discovery; (5) the prevention of direct access to the database – instead, network enabled services (e.g. Web services) should be used to provide custom views of the database; (6) allowing owners of data to set access restrictions; (7) a layered approach to query results, in order to manage network load; (8) the ability to discover if data is available, and if available, how much and from what sources; and (9) options to retrieve meta-data only, or meta-data and a slice of data, or meta-data and full data.

The Phase I project should: (1) research the viability of using the Resource Description Framework (RDF) as the means of publishing heterogeneous meta-data; (2) investigate and recommend a means for network enabled database views, in order to retrieve data, information, and analysis results from diverse information systems. (e.g., Web services, twisted framework, etc.); (3) investigate and select a native XML database for Phase II; and (4) document trade-offs considered in the selection process and report the results of any tests that are conducted. Then, the Phase II project should: (1) develop a test bed system to explore the management and sharing of a wide variety of data; (2) model a representative data set using semi-structured techniques; (3) store the data in a semi-structured format; (4) publish meta-data information to facilitate data discovery; and (5) make meta-data and data available through a general-purpose interface that facilitates querying.

For further information or to clarify these requirements please contact Mr. John G. Burns [(505) 844-0742, jgburns@sandia.gov] at the Sandia National Laboratories. Contact and discussion is recommended to avoid misunderstandings and unresponsive grant applications.

c. Solid-State Pump Laser for Generating Non-Harmonic Ultraviolet Light—Pulsed ultraviolet (UV) lasers are required for the detection of effluents associated with proliferation. The generation of non-harmonic ultraviolet wavelengths, using, for example, optical parametric oscillators, requires pump lasers with high optical beam quality. Therefore, grant applications are sought to design and develop, and provide proof-of-concept experiments for, a diode-laser-pumped, Q-switched, ~1-micron solid-state laser (such as Nd:YAG or Nd:YLF), which can serve as the pump laser for nonlinear optical conversion to the UV (250 to 400 nm). In order to achieve efficient conversion to UV output (which usually entails pumping optical parametric and frequency mixing processes) the pump laser must operate on a single frequency and have excellent beam quality. The most desirable near field output beam shape is a slightly rounded flat-top or a second-order supergaussian intensity distribution. In addition, it is critically important that all of the energy is contained in a single lobe (i.e. no side lobes) and that the wavefront deviation is less than ~λ/4 over 80% of the beam aperture. Furthermore, an output energy of >200 mJ/pulse, a repetition rate of 100 Hz or more, and a pulse length of between 10 to 15 ns FWHM is desired. Since the ultimate goal of the pump laser/UV conversion system is for a remote sensing system, the pump laser should be relatively compact (volume < 2ft³) and efficient (power consumption < 1 kW).

For further information or to clarify these requirements, please contact Dr. Phillip Hargis [(505) 844-2821, pjhargi@sandia.gov] or Mr. Randal Schmitt [(505) 844-9519, schmitt@sandia.gov] at the Sandia National Laboratories. Contact and discussion is recommended to avoid misunderstandings and unresponsive grant applications.

d. Broadly Tunable Infrared Quantum Cascade Diode Lasers Based on an External Cavity—Lasers based on quantum cascade gain media represent a powerful new tool for optical detection in the infrared spectral region. This is the result of several interesting characteristics that have been demonstrated, including high power, narrow spectral linewidth, improved reliability, and the potential for non-cryogenic operation. However, the commercialization of an infrared quantum cascade laser (QCL) capable of broad spectral tuning, which would be the key to chemical measurement applications, has not reached fruition. Currently available QCL's are constructed as distributed-feedback (DFB) or Fabry-Perot (FP) cavities. In these systems, the mirrors that define the laser cavity are intimately bonded to the semiconductor gain region, and the limited thermal expansion range of the fixed cavity limits the tuning range of the device to about 10 cm^-1. However, QCL's have been demonstrated that can support gain over a much broader (297 cm^-1) spectral bandwidth. Also, infrared diode laser products that can tune very broadly (100 cm^-1) now exist; in these products, the diode gain medium is inserted into an external cavity that can both select frequencies and adjust cavity length over a much broader range than DFB or FP cavities.

Therefore, grant applications are sought to develop concepts for producing and demonstrating broadly-tunable QCL's using external cavity (or other) approaches. Desirable characteristics for the laser system include: (1) operation within the 8 to 14 micron spectral region; (2) a tuning range of 50 to 100 wavenumbers (more is better); (3) a linewidth of 100 MHz or narrower; (4) power of 1 mW or more (although 0.1 to 1 mW still would be useful); and (5) non-cryogenic cooling (e.g., thermal electric cooling) – however, a cryogenic system still would be useful. Although some examples of this capability have been reported in the literature, no commercial products have resulted from the research. Moreover, the reported demonstrations have not employed the highly engineered tuning mechanisms that exist in the commercial world.

For further information or to clarify these requirements, please contact Dr. Thomas Kulp [(925) 294-3676, tjkulp@sandia.gov] at the Sandia National Laboratories. Contact and discussion is recommended to avoid misunderstandings and unresponsive grant applications.

References:

Subtopic a: Manufacturing Support Technologies for Information Exfiltration

1. Marchand, E. W., Gradient Index Optics, New York: Academic Press, 1978. (ISBN: 0124707505)

2. Morgan, S. P., “General Solution of the Luneberg Lens Problem,” Journal of Applied Physics, 29:1358, 1958. (ISSN: 0021-8979)(For ordering information and to view abstract, see: http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=JAPIAU000029000009001358000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&jsessionid=2879761092946310414)

3. Y. Koike, et.al, “Spherical Gradient-Index Sphere Lens,” Applied Optics, 25(19):3356, Optical Society of America (OSA), October 1986. (ISSN: 0003-6935, print) (ISSN: 1539-4522, online) (For article ordering information see: http://aoot.osa.org/abstract.cfm?id=29697)

Subtopic b: Semi-Structured System for Sharing Data (S4D)

4. Semistructured Data and XML: Executive Summary, University of Pennsylvania Database Research Group/Department of Computer and Information Science,

5. Goodwins, R., “Nanotech Points Way to Petabyte Disk Drives,” ZDNet UK, February 4, 2003. (Full text available at: )

6. Mercola, J., “Petabyte Disk Drives in Seven Years--What Does That Mean for You?” eHealthy News You Can Use, Issue 405, February 22, 2003. (Full text available at: http://www.mercola.com/2003/feb/22/petabyte.htm)

Subtopic c: Solid-State Pump Laser for Generating Non-Harmonic Ultraviolet Light

7. Hoffnagle, J. A. and Jefferson, C. M., “Design and Performance of a Refractive Optical System that Converts a Gaussian to a Flattop Beam,” Applied Optics; 39(30):5488-99, OSA, October 20, 2000. (ISSN: 0003-6935, print) (ISSN: 1539-4522, online) (For article ordering information see: http://ao.osa.org/abstract.cfm?id=62493)

8. Hoffnagle, J. A. and Jefferson, C. M., “Measured Performance of a Refractive Gauss-to-Flattop Reshaper for Deep-UV Through Near-IR Wavelengths,” Proceedings of SPIE 2001: Laser Beam Shaping II, San Diego, CA, July 29-Aug. 3, 2001, 4443:115-24, SPIE, October 2001. (ISBN: 0-8194-4443-X) (For ordering information and to view abstract see: http://spiedl.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PSISDG004443000001000115000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes&jsessionid=114951093029080880)

9. Hoffnagle, J. A. and Jefferson, C.M., “Beam Shaping with a Plano-Aspheric Lens Pair,” Optical Engineering; 42(11):3090-9, SPIE, November 2003. (ISSN: 1048-6879)

Subtopic d: Broadly Tunable Infrared Quantum Cascade Diode Lasers Based on an External Cavity

10. Gmachl, C., et al., “Single-Mode Tunable Distributed-Feedback and Multiple-Wavelength Quantum Cascade Lasers,” IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 38(6):569-581, June 2002. (ISSN: 0018-9197)

11. Faist, J. et al., “Quantum-Cascade Lasers Based on a Bound-to-Continuum Transition”, Applied Physics Letters 78(2):147-149 January 8, 2001. (ISSN: 0003-6951) (Full text available at: http://www.unine.ch/phys/meso/General/Publications/publications_fr.html#2001)

12. Totschnig, G., et al., “Mid-Infrared External-Cavity Quantum Cascade Laser”, Optics Letters 27:1788-1790, 2002. (ISSN: 0146-9592)

13. See, for example, New Focus, Inc. Tunable Lasers product information at: http://www.newfocus.com/product/productline.cfm?productlineid=1&app=photonics

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