Oct 2022

​Terahertz Heterodyne Spectrometer For In Situ Resource Utilization (THSiRU), a sensitive THz-spectrometer that targets multiple vaper phase molecular species such as water and hydrated minerals by ablating the lunar regolith. THSiRU is state-of-the-art instrument that has a 1U CubeSat volume, low mass (1.3 kg) and power (6.3 W). THSiRU provides a spectral resolution (x105) higher than the Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (FTS) instrument on the Cassini mission and will be used for In-Situ resource utilization (ISRU) applications. ​

techport.nasa.gov/view/154858

www.photonics.com/Articles/NASA_Aims_to_Deploy_Terahertz_Laser_to_Help/a68314

May 7, 2018

LongWave Photonics has been awarded a Phase II SBIR grant for the development of tunable external cavity Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers. The resulting laser will provide multi-milliwatt power levels over a tunable range of frequencies for use as a Local Oscillator for heterodyne receivers.

https://sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/17/sbir/phase2/SBIR-17-2-S1.04-9669.html​

April 19, 2017

LongWave Photonics has been awarded a NASA/JPL Phase I SBIR grant for the development of a tunable external cavity Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser. The resulting laser will provide multi-milliwatt power levels over a tunable range of frequencies for use as a Local Oscillator for heterodyne receivers.

sbir.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/17/sbir/phase1/SBIR-17-1-S1.04-9669.html

April 15, 2015

LongWave has been awarded a NASA/JPL Phase II SBIR grant to develop a Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser Local Oscillators. NASA has a need for airborne/space-based observatories and remote sensors in order to penetrate the opaque atmosphere between 1 and 10 THz. For observations >2 THz, Terahertz Quantum Cascade lasers are the only sources which are compact and can with sufficient power to pump heterodyne receivers. LongWave Photonics is developing a compact, frequency agile, frequency locked, single mode quantum cascade laser (QCL) system. The distributed feedback grating (DFB) QCL arrays, developed in conjunction with MIT, pack multiple devices on a single semiconductor die with individual devices lasing at different frequencies.

https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/888575

July 1, 2015

LongWave Photonics will be exhibiting at the Infrared and Millimeter Wave conference in Hong Kong, August 24th to 27th.

http://www.irmmw-thz2015.org/

April 23, 2014

LongWave is developing DFB THz-QCLs to meet the need for Local Oscillators for heterodyne receivers. NASA has a need for airborne or space-based observatories and remote sensors in order to penetrate the opaque atmosphere between 1 and 10 THz. For observations >2 THz, technologically mature microwave sources typically have microwatt power levels which are insufficient to act as LOs for a heterodyne receiver. LongWave Photonics is proposing to develop a compact, frequency agile, frequency locked, single mode quantum cascade laser (QCL) system. The distributed feedback grating (DFB) QCL arrays pack multiple devices on a single semiconductor die with individual devices lasing at different frequencies.

http://sbir.gsfc.nasa.gov/SBIR/abstracts/14/sbir/phase1/SBIR-14-1-S1.03-8828.html

September 1, 2013

LongWave Photonics and NEC demonstrate a real-time imaging microscope system at IRMMW-THz in Mainz, Germany. THz illumination was provided by QCLs at 4.3 THz and 3.1 THz (software selectable) and were mounted in LongWave's EasyQCL-HP system. Real-time images were taken using a microscopy system developed by NEC (see paper: Proc SPIE 8496) using the Terahertz Imager.

September 1, 2013

LongWave Photonics Awarded Phase II SBIR for the development of Tunable Terahertz QCLs.

http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1330955

March 1, 2012

When Kennedy Space Center started looking for new capabilities to inspect the thermal materials for future space vehicles, it solicited proposals through the STTR program. NASA worked with Boston-based LongWave Photonics LLC on a source of terahertz radiation called the quantum cascade laser (QCL). By 2011, LongWave started selling the Easy QCL to academic, industrial, and government researchers.

http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2012/ip_5.html

November 10, 2011

LongWave Photonics awarded National Science Foundation Phase I SBIR for the development of tunable terahertz quantum cascade lasers.

http://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1143131

June 11, 2011

Optical Coherence Tomography News (June 6 2011)

Startup Company LongWave Photonics Receives NASA award for NDT OCT Application of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser 3D Imaging. The Prinicpal Investigator is Alan Lee. Below is a brief summary of the work. LongWave Photonics will be demonstrating their compact terahertz QCL system at the international Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves (IMRMMW-THS, October 2-7 in Huston Texas (http://www.irmmw-thz2011.org/).

The NASA Constellation program has a need to non-destructively test (NDT) non-metallic materials (foams, Shuttle Tile, Avcoat, etc) for defects such as delaminations and voids. While imaging systems at terahertz frequencies (0.3 to 3 THz) have been demonstrated for 2D imaging of similar materials, they have not yet demonstrate full 3D volumetric imaging. To meet this need, LongWave Photonics proposes to use high-power, low-frequency terahertz quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) developed at MIT, to demonstrate 3D imaging using Laser Triangulation. By using high-power QCL sources, large signal to noise ratios (SNRs) are attainable, resulting in resolution of subtle defects at fast scan speeds. The shorter wavelengths emitted by QCLs, 60 to 250 µm, allow high lateral and depth resolution. The feasibility of a second system based on Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography will also be explored using a recently developed tunable THz QCL from MIT. In addition to the benefits of high SNR, this technique allows sub-wavelength depth resolution. The current generation of QCLs are compatible with a cooling package that is <12 Kg, with <300 W power consumption. Phase II work will package a second generation of QCLs in a compact system to meet NASA's portable 3D NDT needs

April 19, 2011

LongWave Photonics awarded NASA Phase II SBIR for the development of 3D imaging of space flight materials using terahertz quantum cascade lasers.

Terahertz Antenna coupled photonic wire lasers.

Optics Express, Vol 23, 17091-17100 (2015)

Terahertz tomography using quantum-cascade lasers.

Optics Letters, Vol. 37 No. 2, January, 2012.

Terahertz tomography using quantum-cascade lasers.

Optics Letters, Vol. 37 No. 2, January, 2012.