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On May 10, 2024, IRflex Corporation signed a SBIR Phase II contract of $981,450 of with NAVAIR  for Optical Additive Manufacturing in Mid-Wave and long-Wave Infrared Bands after successfully finish its Phase I contract since May 2023.

The military extensively uses mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors and cameras for reconnaissance and surveillance of targets of interest by thermal emissions. IR cameras require broadband imaging systems composed of several IR lenses made of different materials to correct for chromatic aberrations (focal shift caused by dn/d-wavelength) or for a thermalization (focal shift caused by dn/dT). IR cameras and the high-definition imaging systems are very expensive and are often exposed to harsh environments (sand, salt water, vibration, temperature variation, etc.) and can be damaged. The potential use of MWIR-LWIR AM to print imaging quality optical lens is highly desirable and critical for current and future Navy IR optical systems. The AM process has the potential for depositing MWIR and LWIR optical precursor materials with sufficient quality and precision for IR optical components or to perform front surface repair on existing IR optical components. The MWIR-LWIR AM will allow engineering of new compact optical systems with high imaging performance, fewer optical elements, less weight and volume, and easier alignment compared to current multi-components IR imaging optics.

The Phase II contract starts from August 1, 2024 and finish until February 1, 2027.

On June 3, 2024, IRflex Corporation signed a SBIR Phase I contract with DOD for Optical Fiber Combiner for Combining MWIR Quantum Cascade Laser Beams

IRflex proposes an optical fiber combiner structure to combine the power from seven or more quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) emitting in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) between 4.5 and 5 microns into a single output fiber. The total output power from the optical fiber combiner will exceed 80% of the sum of the emitted power of all the input QCLs, including the various losses (laser-to-fiber coupling, reflections, fiber transmission, splice, and combining efficiency). Also, the optical fiber combiner will be capable of outputting sustained average power of up to 60 Watts without damage. The Phase I effort will provide the modelling and experimental results to demonstrate the feasibility to develop and produce the proposed fiber combiner structure during the Phase II effort.

On January 19, 2024, IRflex Corporation signed a SBIR Phase I Option contract with NAVAIR for Optical Additive Manufacturing in Mid-Wave and long-Wave Infrared Bands.

This Phase I Option award followed the successful completion of the Phase I contract signed on May 11, 2023.

The additive manufacturing (AM) process has the potential for depositing MWIR and LWIR optical precursor materials with sufficient quality and precision for IR optical components or to perform front surface repair on existing IR optical components. The MWIR-LWIR AM will allow engineering of new compact optical systems with high imaging performance, fewer optical elements, less weight and volume, and easier alignment compared to current multi-components IR imaging optics.

On June 29, 2023, IRflex Corporation signed SBIR Phase II Option Contract (Topic N19B-T028) with DOD NAVAIR for Additive Manufacturing of Inorganic Transparent Material for Advanced Optics, after successfully work partnered with University of Central Florida on Phase I and Phase II for the same project.

The award is to continuedly develop an additive manufacturing (AM) process for depositing inorganic glasses with sufficient quality and precision for free form and gradient index optics.

On April 18, 2019 IRflex Corporation singed this captioned SBIR Phase I project with Navy.  After successfully completing the captioned Phase I, Phase I Option and Phase II project, on June 16, 2023 IRflex Corporation announces that the company was awarded NAVY SBIR Topic N191-012 Phase II Option project for Mid-Wave Infrared Polarization-Maintaining Single Mode Fiber.

Most infrared lasers are polarized. PM-fiber offers the capability of preserving the launched light polarization state as it propagates through the fiber. In conventional fibers the polarization state is not preserved due to mechanical stress, temperature induced changes, fiber fabrication imperfections, and fiber bends. Commercially available silica PM-fibers only cover the visible and near-infrared spectrum.  Currently there is no commercially available PM-fiber solution for the MWIR region. The objective of this project is to develop single mode polarization-maintaining fiber (PM-fiber) that covers the Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) wavelengths from 2um – 6um for applications that require a high polarization extinction ratio at the fiber output and is able to waveguide tens of watts of optical power through the fiber.

Two years ago, on January 29, 2021, IRflex Corporation signed a Phase II 800,000$US contract with the Department of Defense after completion of the Phase I project of the same title to develop an anti-reflective surface for infrared Optical fiber Endfaces.  After 2 years completing the Phase II project objective, IRflex was awarded the option 300,000$US to continue the project.

The objective of the project is to develop an anti-reflective surface for use on bare and connectorized infrared fiber optic cable assembly in the wavelength interests of 1.4 to 5 micron.  In such region, optical materials with a large index of refraction are often used.  According to the Fresnel equation, reflection loss increases significantly when the difference between the index of the exit medium and the index of the entrance medium is 1 or greater.  In addition to the need for low reflectivity, anti-reflective surfaces must be tolerant to high optical power. The end result of this project is an anti-reflective surface with an improved damage threshold for high power application that can be manufactured.

On May 11, 2023, IRflex Corporation signed a SBIR Phase I contract with NAVAIR  for Optical Additive Manufacturing in Mid-Wave and long-Wave Infrared Bands.

The military extensively uses mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors and cameras for reconnaissance and surveillance of targets of interest by thermal emissions. IR cameras require broadband imaging systems composed of several IR lenses made of different materials to correct for chromatic aberrations (focal shift caused by dn/d-wavelength) or for a thermalization (focal shift caused by dn/dT). IR cameras and the high-definition imaging systems are very expensive and are often exposed to harsh environments (sand, salt water, vibration, temperature variation, etc.) and can be damaged. The potential use of MWIR-LWIR AM to print imaging quality optical lens is highly desirable and critical for current and future Navy IR optical systems. The AM process has the potential for depositing MWIR and LWIR optical precursor materials with sufficient quality and precision for IR optical components or to perform front surface repair on existing IR optical components. The MWIR-LWIR AM will allow engineering of new compact optical systems with high imaging performance, fewer optical elements, less weight and volume, and easier alignment compared to current multi-components IR imaging optics.

PHASE I work will analyze the current state-of-the-art MWIR and LWIR AM technology. Identify the technological, innovative, and reliability challenges to determine the feasibility of using MWIR and LWIR AM for the refurbishment of MWIR and LWIR optical components (the required optical properties, full densification, and smooth surface finish, as provided in the Description), and propose  a plan for how these will be addressed. Perform a preliminary identification of hazards and cost comparisons for MWIR and LWIR AM of MWIR and LWIR optical components.