Nanophotonics Accessibility and Applicability (2008) / Chapter Skim
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4 Potential Military Applications of Nanophotonics
4 Potential Military Applications of Nanophotonics
Pages 131-167
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From page 131... ...
It is also understood that the present study is not intended to promote the potential of nanophotonics, but to make certain that the technology parameters identified are real and can be translated into military applications. Finding 4-1.
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From page 132... ...
CHART 4-1 Example of Technology Assessment Chart Application Area Text and/or graphical representation Technology Observables Brief description of technology Brief description of observables Accessibility Maturity Consequence Level 1, 2, or 3 Technology Futures Short characterization of Technology Watch consequences Technology Warning Technology Alert Enablers and Key Technical Parameters Put the technology into a lay person's perspective Triggers List new developments to watch that may enable warfare capability. Narrative(s)
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From page 133... ...
6. Strategic consequences to the sponsor if this technology development area is not monitored, viewed from a defensive military perspective as defined in Avoiding Surprise in an Era of Global Technology Advances (NRC, 2005, p.
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From page 134... ...
In the general category of command, control, and communications, applications can be enabled for a variety of potential needs, such as platform avionics, the remote actuation of devices, as well as emissive displays for monitoring. The field of secure communications, including quantum key distribution, is also potentially fertile ground for nanophotonics insertion.
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From page 135... ...
• Incorporation of nanophotonic materials or phenomena to enhance photovoltaic efficiencies. Accessibility Maturity Consequence Level 3 Technology Watch Pervasive, lightweight sources of power would enable continual access to computation and communications, facilitating the capability to pursue military goals.
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From page 136... ...
Regular arrays of nanocrystals (quantum dots) are predicted to form mini-bands or "multiple energy level" solar cells that more efficiently convert absorbed photons to electrical carriers, rather than creating dissipated heat.
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From page 137... ...
Alternative systems-level strategies may produce higher efficiency, compact photovoltaics, without requiring nanophotonic concepts. • Overall View: The committee views this as a Technology Watch item.
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From page 138... ...
• Alternatively, a set of sensors can be placed in • Prior work on silica and polymer optical fibers an environment, and these devices can locally arranged to create two-dimensional air/material detect changes resulting from interaction with photonic crystal fibers demonstrated useful the analyte(s) and then send the information materials as optical waveguides and sensors.
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From page 139... ...
payload, skins of buildings, aircraft, ships for full area coverage. • Low power consumption.
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From page 140... ...
The Danish company Crystal Fibre A/S produces and markets the two-dimensional photonic crystal fibers. • Overall View: The committee views this technology as a Technology Watch item.
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From page 141... ...
modify light emitted by conventional phosphors, • The structures can be mechanically flexible. as well as by fluorescent, electro-luminescent, • The structures can be electrically, mechanically, light-emitting diode, and other light sources.
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From page 142... ...
Band-gap materials can therefore be used to control the spectrum and emission direction of conventional light sources. If a gain medium, such as a fluorescent laser dye, is introduced into the band-gap structure and the system is pumped, it will lase at the band edges without any external cavity.
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From page 143... ...
POTENTIAL MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF NANOPHOTONICS 143 CHART 4-4 Continued Narrative(s) a b FIGURE 4-4-2 Emission tunable thin film.
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From page 144... ...
are very active in the field. • Overall View: The committee views this technology as a Technology Watch item because the technology is rapidly advancing in many countries.
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From page 145... ...
POTENTIAL MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF NANOPHOTONICS 145 CHART 4-5 Application Area: Ultrahigh Density Storage Exploiting Nanophotonics Spinning disk Recording head FIGURE 4-5-1 Schematic of recording head with near-field optical source. SOURCE: Kryder (2006)
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From page 146... ...
will employ a laser source built into or onto the • Specifically, in magnetic storage, localized recording head, which could thus be quickly heating is seen as a solution to the realized with some minor reverse-engineering. superparamagnetic limit by lowering temporarily • However, in future embodiments this near-field the coercivity of the magnetic film, thereby source may comprise quantum dots or other enabling the writing with the limited magnetic more in situ light sources.
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From page 147... ...
Although these near fields are generated at basically any object or scatterers with dimensions much smaller than the wavelength of the incident propagating electromagnetic field, the physics and accurate engineering of near-field optical light sources is very challenging due to very small dimensions involved. In this technology the subdiffraction limited light source is used to record and read information patterns at very high spatial resolution, which enables the opportunity to drastically increase storage densities.
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From page 148... ...
• Overall View: The committee views this technology as a Technology Watch item because it has not been demonstrated yet. • Military Application Considerations/Suggested Risks: Improved data-storage devices will enhance information-processing capabilities.
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From page 149... ...
Therefore, many of the theoretical assumptions and promises of quantum information processing and quantum cryptography remain to be evaluated. With all of the considerable technical challenges inherent in points (2)
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From page 150... ...
• Example 1: Quantum Cryptography Networks and Systems Under Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsorship, BBN Technologies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, together with Harvard University and Boston University, built and operated the world's first Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)
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From page 151... ...
Commercial ventures have already developed worldwide, and the initial commercial announcement of a quantum computer was made from a Canadian firm. • Overall View: The committee views this as a Technology Watch item.
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From page 152... ...
CMOS Driver integrated Receiver circuit circuit circuit FIGURE 4-7-1 Example: On-chip optical communication network. NOTE: Si, silicon; SiO2, silicon dioxide; CMOS IC, complementary metal oxide semiconductor integrated circuit.
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From page 153... ...
The even transistors providing potentially ultrahigh committee believes that the rate of progress throughput, minimal access latencies, and toward tighter integration between optics and low power dissipation; other nanophotonic microprocessor is a direct gauge for progress components may include modulators, detectors, of this technology. on-chip light sources, fiber couplers, and other • Since nanophotonic technology components are passive components.
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From page 154... ...
Enablers and Key Technical Parameters Recent trends in the computing industry, specifically the emergence of multicore microprocessors and power limitations, have made inter- and intrachip interconnects the bottleneck (increased resonant cavity delay, power consumption, and cross talk) for future performance growth.
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From page 155... ...
• Overall View: The committee views this technology as a Technology Watch or Technology Warning item. • Military Application Considerations/Suggested Risks: Nanophotonics-enhanced microprocessors could lead to a supercomputer on a chip with vastly improved processing and computing capabilities.
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From page 156... ...
156 Nanophotonics CHART 4-8 Application Area: Infrared Imaging and Night Vision FIGURE 4-8-1 Picture of rocket plume. SOURCE: Peters and Nichols (1997)
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From page 157... ...
Accessibility Maturity Consequence Level 1 Technology Futures Greatly enhanced capabilities for thermal detection on the battlefield, increased situational awareness at lower levels of the command chain, vulnerability of large-platform assets. Enablers and Key Technical Parameters Not applicable.
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From page 158... ...
• Overall View: The committee views this as a Technology Futures item because the technology is in the research stage and in the open literature. The trigger will be when the research is no longer reported openly; the question will be -- Is that because results are no longer forthcoming, or because the results are so important that military secrecy prevails?
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From page 159... ...
SOURCE: (robot) Northrop Grumman Corporation (2007)
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From page 160... ...
This allows for specific detection of very low concentrations of the analyte molecules using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)
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From page 161... ...
The observation of large enhancements in the signal when the molecules are adsorbed onto, or brought in close proximity to, specially designed substrates, has led to the recent interest in SERS as a technique for sensitive and rapid detection of molecules. The large enhancement also allows for detection of molecules with weak Raman scattering cross sections and low concentrations of the analyte molecules.
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From page 162... ...
• Overall View: The committee views this technology as a Technology Alert item because the technology is rapidly maturing in many countries. The committee believes that this area (1)
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From page 163... ...
The D-Wave Systems product is still rather controversial and under evaluation. Experts in the field were called in to assess the performance of the D-Wave System computer, which is based on "superconducting qubits." The committee considered it important to note that even in the very demanding and futuristic area of quantum information processing, technological progress is such that products are being generated and introduced into the commercial sector.
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From page 164... ...
. Beyond computation, quantum information technology holds direct benefits to the technology of secure communications, also referred to as quantum key distribution or quantum cryptography (Bennett and Brassard, 1984)
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From page 165... ...
These basic physical facts mean that the terahertz regime has enormous potential in the area of remote spectroscopy, with unprecedented, unsurpassed species-discrimination capability and a minimized probability of error due to either missed detection or misidentification. Success in developing the terahertz regime for remote vapor detection will create a new modality in remote sensing that stretches frequency agility, complements conventional microwave and infrared detection by providing hitherto inaccessible primary and corroborative spectral information, and decreases operational predictability by deploying a new and unconventional frequency technology that will make counterdetection and interdiction more difficult.
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From page 166... ...
1999. Quantum information processing using quantum dot spins and cavity QED.
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From page 167... ...
2005. Avoiding Surprise in an Era of Global Technology Advances.
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