NASA STTR 2020-I Solicitation

Proposal Summary

PROPOSAL NUMBER:
 20-1- T8.06-5681
SUBTOPIC TITLE:
 Quantum Sensing and Measurement
PROPOSAL TITLE:
 On-Demand Single-Photon Sources for Correlated Calibration of Single Photon Detectors
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (SBC):
Nanohmics, Inc.
6201 East Oltorf Street, Suite 400
Austin TX  78741 - 7509
Phone: (512) 389-9990
RESEARCH INSTITUTION (RI):
The University of Texas at Dallas
800 West Campbell Road
TX  75080
Phone: (972) 883-6383

Principal Investigator (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Steve Savoy
E-mail:
ssavoy@nanohmics.com
Address:
6201 East Oltorf Street, Suite 400 Austin, TX 78741 - 7509
Phone:
(512) 389-9990

Business Official (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)

Name:
Mike Mayo
E-mail:
mmayo@nanohmics.com
Address:
6201 East Oltorf Street, Suite 400 Austin, TX 78741 - 7509
Phone:
(512) 389-9990
Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) :
Begin: 2
End: 4
Technical Abstract (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)

To support ultrasensitive detection and measurement in NASA aerospace applications, the development of quantum sensing and measurement (QSM) plays the key role, which involves a wide range of technologies and instruments whose performance is not constrained by the boundaries of classical physics. Single-photon counting has become one of the core techniques in remote sensing, measurement, and optical communications. Thorough characterization of the detection capability of a single-photon detector is required for accurate QSM applications. Compared to the conventional radiant-power-measurement-based method, the photon-pair-based correlated approach, in which the detection of one photon heralds the other photon of the pair with certainty, is well suited for straightforward photon counting calibration. So far, the most widely used ‘workhorse’ for generating photon pairs have been dominated by parametric down-conversion, which, however is intrinsically probabilistic. Aiming at on-demand generation of photon pairs for correlated calibration of SPDs, Nanohmics, Inc. and Prof. Anton Malko’s research group at the University of Texas at Dallas, in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer A. Hollingsworth at Los Alamos National Laboratory, propose to develop high-brightness single-photon pair sources based on biexciton cascade of single colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals.

Potential NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

The proposed on-demand high-brightness single-photon pair sources will provide a critical component for straightforward correlated calibration of single-photon counting detectors on the ground and aboard space instruments in NASA missions.

The proposed development has the potential to increase the measurement precision and reliability of the detection efficiency of single-photon detectors without any ties to externally calibrated standards.

Potential Non-NASA Applications (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)

Potential non-NASA applications will include the use of the developed technology for calibration of single-photon counting detectors for a broad range of conventional optical applications. The proposed effort will also produce a hybrid exciton-plasmon structure that could be further engineered and optimized for the generation of entangled photon pairs for various quantum information applications.

Duration: 13
Form Generated on 06/29/2020 21:15:43