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Performance of Meta Materials in Navy Applications
Navy SBIR 2009.1 - Topic N091-042 NAVAIR - Mrs. Janet McGovern - [email protected] Opens: December 8, 2008 - Closes: January 14, 2009 N091-042 TITLE: Performance of Meta Materials in Navy Applications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Materials/Processes, Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-264, Air ASW Systems The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation. OBJECTIVE: Model the cloaking effect that Meta materials have in different applications and develop innovative counter methods to defeat the cloaking characteristics of Meta materials with a primary focus on acoustic and radar (RF) Meta materials. DESCRIPTION: Materials with novel properties have been shown theoretically to provide enhanced capabilities for controlling optical, RF, and acoustic signatures and for creating novel devices. This presents potential opportunities for, and threats to, existing naval systems that depend on reflected energy signals to locate and track targets by creating effective cloaking materials. The properties of materials needed to cloak objects can be realized in principle with engineered composites, or Meta materials. However, it is not yet known how well these materials can be realized and thus to what degree this new material design paradigm may impact naval systems. Meta materials are engineered composites that exhibit exceptional properties not readily available in natural materials. These properties arise from qualitatively new response functions that are not observed in the constituent materials and result from the inclusion of artificially fabricated, extrinsic, low dimensional inhomogeneities. Over the past seven years, much of Meta materials work has focused on analyzing, generating and demonstrating novel electromagnetic properties, specifically materials with engineered values of electric permittivity and magnetic permeability. The body of work spans frequencies of operation from RF and microwave to optical, and explores many effects. Some of the more dramatic possibilities include negative index of refraction, a �perfect� lens, and more recently cloaking. Additionally, EM Meta materials are being developed as a means to improve a host of more conventional electromagnetic applications such as antennas, bolometers, lenses and various other devices. Importantly, these Meta material effective medium concepts are not limited to electromagnetic phenomenon. Indeed, mechanical waves share many common aspects with electromagnetic wave propagation, and it has recently been shown that it is theoretically possible to create acoustic versions of some of the most interesting electromagnetic materials and devices. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. Owned and Operated with no Foreign Influence as defined by DOD 5220.22-M, National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been be implemented and approved by the Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor may be required to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances, in order to perform on advanced phases of this contract as set forth by DSS in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this may be a requirement. The selected company may be required to safeguard classified material IAW DoD 5220.22-M during the advance phases of this contract. PHASE I: Determine the feasibility of developing modeling and simulation techniques to accurately predict the cloaking performance of Meta materials in the optical, RF, and acoustical spectrums with a focus on the acoustic and radar (RF) spectrums. Determine the feasibility of devising effective counters to the cloaking properties of Meta materials in the optical, RF, and acoustical spectrums with a primary focus on the acoustical and radar (RF) spectrums. PHASE II: Validate the Phase I model against various Meta materials in the radar (RF), and acoustical spectrums; model the cloaking performance of various Meta materials against specific U.S. Navy systems; and model, implement, and test various counters to the Meta material cloaking properties. The primary focus will be in the acoustical and radar (RF) frequency spectrums. PHASE III: Transition the Meta material cloaking model to Programs of Record that focus on development and improvement of active ASW systems. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The unique capabilities of Meta materials can find both military and civilian applications. This technology would be useful in imaging, detection, or communications applications. REFERENCES: 1. H. Chen and C. T. Chan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 183518 (2007). 2. S. A. Cummer and D. Schurig, New J. Phys. 9, 45 (2007). 3. S. A. Cummer, B-I. Popa, D. Schurig, D. R. Smith, J.B. Pendry, M. Rahm, A. Starr, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 024301 (2008). 4. D. Torrent and J. Sanchez-Dehesa, Acoustic metamaterials for new two-dimensional sonic devices, New. J. Phys., 9, 323 (2007). KEYWORDS: Acoustic; Meta Materials; Cloaking; Scattering; Signature Control
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