NASA SBIR 2004 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Structured Materials Industries, Inc.
201 Circle Drive North, Suite 102/103
Piscataway ,NJ 08854 - 3723
(732) 302 - 9274

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Brent H Hoerman
bhoerman@structuredmaterials.com
201 Circle Drive North, Suite 102/103
Piscataway, NJ  08854 -3723
(732) 302 - 9274

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Structured Materials Industries, Inc. proposes to develop SiGe photovoltaic technology that matches the Nd:YAG wavelength of 1.06 micron for insertion in future Wireless Power Transmission systems. Full development of the proposed technology will provide NASA with a low-cost, SiGe-based alternative to compound semiconductors. In Phase I of the program we have designed, fabricated and tested a SiGe photocell and demonstrated a 45% external quantum efficiency and a 6% power efficiency at the Nd:YAG wavelength of 1.06 micron. In Phase II we will further optimize the SiGe materials properties and the photocell device structure. In Phase III we will make the SiGe photocells commercially available to NASA's contractors and also market the deposition hardware.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Successful development of the proposed SiGe photovoltaic technology matched to a high-power Nd:YAG laser at 1.06 micron will provide NASA with a means of delivering power wirelessly between spacecraft, space platforms and surface sites. Specific applications include:
* Wireless Power Transmission from solar panels down to earth,
* Wireless Power Transmission to landing vehicles in locations that do not receive sufficient sunlight, such as craters,
* Wireless Power Transmission between spacecrafts
* Laser propulsion of spacecrafts.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The primary military application for WPT is the remote powering of the High-Altitude Airship that is currently under development at Northrop Grumman. In another embodiment, a vehicle-based high-powered laser could be used to supply troops with power in remote locations.
The ultimate application of the technology lies in wireless power delivery to homes and offices. Laser power is potentially much more efficient than conventional land line power delivery. For the intermediate term, WPT could be employed to beam power to remote areas.