Program Manager: William S. Coblenz, Ph.D.
The objective of the Nano-Composite Optical Ceramics (NCOC) program is to develop superior materials for infrared (IR) windows that are transparent in the range of 3-5 microns. The material most commonly used in these applications limits window performance.
No one material has been able to provide the desired strength and optical properties in the mid IR range. Therefore, the design approach of the NCOC program has been to leverage advances in nano-composite materials, where the size of the constituent phases is much smaller than the optical wavelength. This allows for increased strength over single phase materials, a wider transparency range, and minimal optical scatter.
|
