TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Polarization Manipulation of Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation Fields

Opportunity: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its Polarization Manipulation of Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation Fields Technology.

Background: High average power solid-state lasers are performance limited by thermally-induced birefringence inhomogeneities which lead to parasitic de-polarization losses. There is a need for an optical component that can compensate for this parasitic de-polarization.

Description: This invention proposes fabrication of a sandwich of two or more (typically 3) magneto-rheologically finished (MRF’d) birefringent plates with purpose designed arbitrary surface contour profiles and eigen-axis orientation. The tailored surface contour profiles are designed to compensate for the observed de-polarization characteristics of a particular solid-state laser operating in a particular configuration. This is a different approach from compensation for wavefront distortion which is routinely achieved by surface contouring a non-birefringent material e.g. fused silica.

Advantages/Benefits: Ability to arbitrarily control the polarization state of a laser beam over its spatial cross-section Ability to fabricate a highly tailored beam polarization state profile corrector Ability to convert an arbitrary spatially varying laser beam polarization state into a uniform linear polarization across an entire beam aperture Applicable to large aperture plates limited only by the size of available birefringent materials and the MRF machine’s capacity to handle the plate Potential Applications: Improving performance of high-average power lasers by mitigating parasitic de-polarization losses Other applications for polarization control in optical systems and display industries Development Status: Current stage of technology development: TRL 4-5 LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2021/0239893 Polarization Manipulation of Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation Fields published 8/5/2021 LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Polarization Manipulation of Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation Fields Technology should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

Company Name and address. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology. Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's Polarization Manipulation of Free-Space Electromagnetic Radiation Fields Technology . The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below. Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Innovation and Partnerships Office P.O.

Box 808, L-779 Livermore, CA 94551-0808 Attention: IL-13351