NASA SBIR 2015 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
QmagiQ
22 Cotton Road, Unit H, Suite 180
Nashua, NH 03063 - 4219
(603) 821-3092

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mani Sundaram
msundaram@qmagiq.com
22 Cotton Road, Unit H, Suite 180
Nashua, NH 03063 - 4219
(603) 821-3092 Extension :200

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mani Sundaram
msundaram@qmagiq.com
22 Cotton Road, Unit H, Suite 180
Nashua, NH 03063 - 4219
(603) 821-3092 Extension :200

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 3
End: 4

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Sensor and Detector Technology for Visible, IR, Far IR and Submillimeter is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
We propose to develop antimony-based focal plane arrays (FPAs) for NASA's imaging and spectroscopy applications in the spectral band from visible to shortwave-infrared (SWIR), viz. wavelengths from 0.5 - 2.5 microns. We will leverage recent breakthroughs in the performance of midwave and longwave infrared FPAs based on the InAs/GaSb/AlSb material system in which QmagiQ has played a key part. In these spectral bands, this novel sensor already offers performance comparable to mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) but at a fraction of the cost due to the leveraging of commercial growth and process equipment. Our goal is to extend that benefit into the shortwave infrared. Using the best material currently available and a novel bandgap-engineering design and process, we will fabricate FPAs and measure how the antimony-based sensor compares to state-of-the-art shortwave MCT in terms of quantum efficiency and dark current. In Phase I, we developed the basic building block - a high-performance SWIR photodiode. In Phase II, we will develop FPAs in a variety of formats and deliver them to NASA for evaluation for its astronomy and planetary missions.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
1) Space- and ground-based astronomy and astrophysics 2) NASA's earth-observing missions in the visible and shortwave-infrared 3) Chemical/spectral mapping of forests, vegetation and crops 4) Atmospheric mapping 5) Pollution monitoring 6) Temperature mapping of oceans and landmasses

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
1) Hyperspectral imaging systems for inspection of agricultural produce and pharmaceutical drugs 2) FTIR imaging microscopy 3) Gas imaging (e.g. for the petrochemical industry) 4) Security and surveillance (day and night) 5) Thermography 6) Medical imaging 7) Missile defense 8) Space-based situational awareness