SBIR Phase II: High-Performance Integrated Photonic Raman Analyzers

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to make real-time chemical analysis broadly accessible by developing a compact, high-performance, and low-cost Raman analyzer that identifies materials by measuring how light interacts with chemicals. A handheld, field-deployable Raman analyzer device could expand access to high-quality chemical measurements, reduce reliance on off-site testing, improve industrial automation, and enable faster detection of unknown or harmful materials. If successful, the technology could help bring laboratory-quality chemical information closer to the point of need and create a foundation for new commercial products in industrial, laboratory, and field-based applications. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop a compact, affordable, and high-performance Raman analyzer that uses advanced photonic chips to perform key optical functions. The analyzer features a new architecture for Raman spectroscopy in which a tunable laser chip acquires the spectrum instead of a dispersive spectrometer. In Phase II, the company plans to fabricate integrated photonic components using a silicon photonic process, develop the control electronics and compact optical probes, and integrate these subsystems to demonstrate the first high-performance integrated-photonic Raman analyzer. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.