Ladar & Optical Communications Institute

1. Ladar & Optical Communications Institute Dr. Paul McManamon Chief Scientist, Sensors Directorate Air Force Research Laboratory Joseph W. Haus Electro-Optics Program University of Dayton July , 2007

2. AFRL motivation • Develop and demonstrate ladar and communications • Ladar is a very rich ID sensor • We need high bandwidth comm. • Enhance the workforce for AFRL • We need US national researchers in these areas • Cultivate government, industry and academic partners • Network throughout the community

3. The Vision of LOCI • Sematech like center for laser radar research and graduate study • Added lasercom since many aspects are very synergistic • Advance laser radar research in pre-competitive areas • Industry participation • Both education needs and research • Collaboration between AFRL, AFIT, the University of Dayton, and the laser radar / lasercom communities • Provide graduate education in laser radar and lasercom • Phd’s • MS, plus about a semester long certificate • The place for graduate education in ladar & lasercom

4. Why Ladar and Lasercom? • Ladar is the best ID sensor • It has very rich phenomenology • Many different aspects to explore • It is early in its development • It can leverage off of radar development (e.g. SAR) • It can and should work with radar of the future • Ladar is on the verge of significant developments, like synthetic aperture ladar and phased array beam steering • It has commercial applications • Auto ladar (all finishers of the DARPA Grand Challenge used ladar) • Medical imaging? • AFRL/SN has a large amount of work in ladar • Free space lasercom is a spin off • Many waveforms and components are the same as ladar • It has commercial applications (e.g. last mile) • The AF needs high bandwidth comm

5. The “Center” is • UD contract • Congressional add (through WBI) • AFRL in-house • SNJ systems in-house • SND device in-house • AFIT research • UD and AFIT courses • Industry sponsored research

6. Ten Year Goal • LOCI is known as the go to place for the USA in at least some part of cutting edge ladar or lasercom research. • LOCI has the researchers • LOCI has the facilities • LOCI has multiple spin off local small companies and local offices of big companies • Mostly military, but some commercial • Many companies fund research at LOCI • Mostly funded in groups that work together • LOCI supports company educational needs • Ongoing as well as new students • The best graduates in the world in laser radar and lasercom come from LOCI • Most of them are US nationals

7. Twenty year goal • US national capability in laser radar and in lasercom is beginning to be dominated by LOCI grads • Industry • Government • Commercial applications rival military applications

8. LOCI Facility plan -12,000 sq ft of space in College Park Center Fifth Floor - four labs, visitor & student office space, admin & Industrial collaborative space for joint projects.

9. Graduate Degrees • MS track (30 credits) • Certificates ( one semester) • Laser radar • Laser communications • PhD

10. ENDOWED CHAIR IN LADAR AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS • U.S. citizen. • Nationally recognized scholar in laser radar and/or free space optical communications (FSOC). • Work with LOCI and its constituency to prioritize research and develop future directions

11. Board of Governors • Current Board: • Chair: Raytheon, Nick Uros • UD: Mickey McCabe, VP for Research and Executive Dir. of UDRI • AFRL: Joe Sciabica, Director, AFRL/SN • AFIT: Marlin Thomas, Dean of the Graduate School • Lockheed Martin - Doug Pasquan, Director, Aircraft Systems Technology • Textron - John Boness, VP • Anticipate 6-8 companies by fall BOG meeting

12. Areas of interest • Synthetic apertures • Sub-aperture imaging • Aperture motion • Non-mechanical beam steering • Obscurant penetration • Vibration signature detection • Imaging through foliage • Other?

13. Aperture Synthesis Taxonomy • Spatial Synthesis • (Sparse Apertures) • AS: Aperture Separation • Modes • Imaging Gain few x RA • Temporal Synthesis • (Synthetic Aperture Ladar) • AS: Aperture Translation • Modes • Cross Over Synthesis • (Phased Arrays) • AS: Translation & Separation • Modes • Spatial Imaging & Vibration Primary Modes • Drives primary problem set – Aperture phasing and phase histories • Polarization, multiple colors are plumbing/complexity

14. Golay 9 Temporal Synthesis – Sparse AperturesAperture Synthesis Provide increased resolution for tactical combat identification using distributed optical apertures. Smaller, lightweight apertures allow for conformal surface placement and less complex compensation for atmospheric turbulence. • Sparse aperture arrays require performance trade studies. In-House efforts have characterized the effects. Miller et al., 2006 AFRL/SNJM University of Dayton AFIT – RA Atm Compensation LMCT – S3

15. Summary • LOCI ( the center) is gaining momentum • LOCI will ensure the development of laser radar and lasercom technology • This is a national need for the US • Military, commercial, medical, and homeland security applications • LOCI will ensure the US has a supply of expert manpower in ladar and lasercom • Military applications first • Then commercial applications