A repository & source of cutting edge news about emerging terahertz technology, it's commercialization & innovations in THz devices, quality & process control, medical diagnostics, security, astronomy, communications, applications in graphene, metamaterials, CMOS, compressive sensing, 3d printing, and the Internet of Nanothings. NOTHING POSTED IS INVESTMENT ADVICE! REPOSTED COPYRIGHT IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE.
Showing posts with label Bakman Technologies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bakman Technologies. Show all posts
A Bakman Technologies PB7220-2000-T portable, frequency-domain, THz spectrometer connected to a custom fabricated, light-weight 10 meter White cell was employed to measure the 1.492 THz, 1.507 THz and 1.523 THz molecular transitions in DHO. Sensor sensitivity levels are then compared to what is required to detect naturally occurring DHO in atmospheric water vapor.
Bakman Technologies LLC Joseph Demers The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to create an economical, high performance Terahertz (THz) spectrometer mounted to a consumer drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to allow testing of air for the presence of harmful compounds over a specific geographical location. A frequency domain THz spectrometer is capable of characterizing many different molecules and chemicals in a gas sample. Historically these spectrometers have been relegated to the laboratory because of their size and complexity. However, recent advancements have made it possible to build a lightweight spectrometer that can be mounted to a drone. This is significant because the ability to analyze samples locally removes the time and expense of collecting and shipping potentially dangerous compounds (i.e. chemical warfare agents or pollutants) to a laboratory for analysis. It also allows detection and classification to occur on short notice and without the need to subject personnel to the local environment. The THz Drone will allow immediate and accurate detection of many harmful compounds in the air. The proposed project will demonstrate a compact, battery operated, frequency domain THz photomixing spectrometer that is capable of Doppler limited molecular spectroscopy and is constructed predominantly from economical off-the-shelf fiber optic components in a highly compact, light-weight form factor. The brass-board instrument will incorporate an optical phase-modulation technique to remove the effects of coherent detection and it will have a greater than 2 THz bandwidth with a spectral purity of better than 100 kHz. After construction, the instrument will be employed to measure Doppler limited molecular transitions of carbon dioxide mixed with water vapor. Upon the successful demonstration of the capabilities of the instrument, a first-draft design for an integrated system weighing less than 3 kg and capable of being carried with a consumer drone will be generated as will a larger laboratory version of the instrument.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) of the National Science Foundation recently awarded Bakman Technologies Inc. a grant to develop a low-cost, high-performance, UAV mounted Terahertz (THz) spectrometer. These ‘THz Drones’ will be employed to perform spot measurements of the concentrations of a broad range of gases that contribute to pollution and global warming. They can make measurements right at the point of emission allowing location-specific, real-time, detection.
“We are extremely grateful to the NSF for recognizing the importance and potential our Terahertz technology has for combating the global problem of air pollution,” states Dr. Joseph R. Demers, the CEO of Bakman Technologies. “Because of the atmospheric science that has already occurred, our ‘THz Drones’ will be able to make an impact in a very short amount of time.”
“The National Science Foundation supports small businesses with the most innovative, cutting-edge ideas that have the potential to become great commercial successes and make huge societal impacts,” said Barry Johnson, Director of the NSF’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. “We hope that this seed funding will spark solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time across all areas of science and technology.”
The Phase I SBIR/STTR grant award enables Bakman to become eligible to apply for a Phase II grant (up to $750,000). If obtained, Bakman could then obtain up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
NSF accepts Phase I proposals from small businesses twice annually in June and December. Small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program undergo a rigorous merit-based review process.
Applications of terahertz-based photonic systems are growing – whether in non-destructive industrial inspection of polymers or in security applications such as testing for hidden drugs or explosives. An optical metrology forum held yesterday at LASER 2015 reviewed a selection of recent developments, which are emerging from the laboratory and making waves in the marketplace.
In a presentation entitled” Terahertz systems for industrial applications”, Dr Joachim Jonuscheit, of the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (IPM), described the two principle sources of terahertz radiation; femtosecond lasers, based on either Ti:Sa of frequency-doubled fiber lasers; and CW diode lasers, with their associated benefits and disadvantages. “For industrial systems you really need fiber-couple d systems,” he said. “Due to their relatively higher stability and flexibility compared with terahertz generators based on free space optics.” Dr Jonuscheit He also acknowledged some examples of the growing range of commercially available and in-research terahertz sources including the GaAs-based TPS Spectra 3000 from Teraview and other recent developments from Advanced Photonix, Hübner, Toptica Photonics, Bakman Technologies, and from his own lab at the Fraunhofer IPM. He concluded, “Terahertz sources are now available from a range of different suppliers applications. Those based on femtosecond lasers generally offer a broader spectrum and are faster, meaning more spectra per second. Whereas those based on CW laser diodes have the advantage of offering higher spectral resolution and are also cheaper.” Applications of terahertz Subsequent presentations reviewed different applications of terahertz technologies, including:
Terahaertz Systems for Plastic Pipes by Arno Neumeister, of Inoex, which develops production and operations inspection systems for applications such as pipe-making. He commented, “Ultrasonic systems cannot measure foamcore pipes, for example, but for our terahertz system, the extra layer of air is actually an advantage”;
Terehaertz Imaging and Spectroscopy for Security applications by Dr Niklas Waasem, Sales Engineer Hübner. He described the security benefits of a terahertz approach as: “detecting anomalies in postal items [letter bombs/drugs]; and terahertz spectroscopy with our embedded evaluation software allows automatic identification of substances.”
The use of terahertz sensors – out of the lab and into the factory, was presented by Phil Taday, head of applications at Teraview, who stated, “Many common materials and living tissues are semi-transparent and have what you could call terahertz fingerprints, permitting them to be imaged, identified, and analyzed. Moreover, the non-ionizing properties of terahertz radiation and the relatively low power levels used, mean that it is safe.”
About the Author
Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.
