Picometrix Receives THz Development Contract

Picometrix, a subsidiary of Advanced Photonix Inc., has received a follow-on $600,000 Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer government contract from NASA to further develop a CT terahertz scanner accessory for single-sided inspection of spacecraft and launch vehicle composite structures.

The award encourages small businesses to partner with nonprofit research institutions to jointly develop new technologies for commercialization. For this contract, Picometrix is partnering with the University of Michigan’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.

The contract encompasses developing a prototype for NASA over 24 months. When completed, the CT option will be incorporated into the company’s T-Ray product platform. It will include 3-axis motion control and software for creating 3-D images of complex aerospace composite structures from terahertz reflected signals.

The CT option enhances the ability to locate and quantify internal structures, regions of damage, porosity, cracking, delaminations, intrusion and other subsurface properties where standard reflection imaging is inadequate.

The technology’s potential could extend beyond NASA to include commercial applications such as flaw and hidden material detection, failure analysis, homeland security and commercial aerospace.

Advanced Photonix supplies optoelectronic products, high-speed optical receivers and terahertz instrumentation for the telecom, homeland security, military, medical and industrial markets.

For more information, visit: www.advancedphotonix.com