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 Birefringent Waveplate and Method for Forming a Waveplate Having a Birefringent Metasurface technology.

Background:

High damage threshold birefringent optical elements (e.g. waveplates) are particularly difficult to fabricate especially with arbitrarily tailored micron-scale spatial profiles. Traditionally these kinds of optical elements have required use of special materials that are often not available in either the size or the quality required.

Description:

This novel invention specifically enables the fabrication of arbitrarily tailored birefringence characteristics in nano-structured meta-surfaces on non-birefringent substrates (e.g. fused silica). The birefringent nano-structured meta-surface is produced by angled directional reactive ion beam etching through a nano-particle mask. This method enables the simultaneous tailoring of refractive index of the meta-surface layer as well as its birefringence.

Advantages/Benefits: 

• Enables the arbitrary tailoring of the refractive index and birefringence profile of a non-birefringent substrate surface layer down to the micron level.
• Enables the simultaneous tailoring of antireflection and birefringence properties.
• Features the high damage threshold of the intrinsic substrate material.
• Resulting refractive index pattern can be wavelength and angle insensitive (unlike thin film multi-layer dielectric solutions).
• Resulting surface texture is ultra-hydrophobic and is in principle self-cleaning.
• Ability to produce arbitrarily large, but lightweight optical elements.
• Flexibility to pattern planar and non-planar surfaces.

Potential Applications: 

• High power laser systems for industrial applications
• High energy lasers systems for scientific applications

Development Status: 

Current stage of technology development:  TRL 2-3

LLNL has patent(s) on this invention.

U.S. Patent No. 11,747,639 Birefringent Waveplate and Method for Forming a Waveplate Having a Birefringent Metasurface published 9/5/2023

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 Birefringent Waveplate and Method for Forming a Waveplate Having a Birefringent Metasurface technology should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.
2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
3. 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 Birefringent Waveplate and Method for Forming a Waveplate Having a Birefringent Metasurface 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-13340