In addition to the technologies listed below, RAN has technologies and capabilities under development in collaboration with other companies and university research groups. These include:
Laser development – we have capabilities in lasers to meet custom requirements of wavelength, power, and beam quality. We have designs for higher efficiency and higher power laser systems.
Photovoltaic solar cells – made with significantly less pollution than current technologies, on flexible media, with adjustable cutoff wavelength (or bandgap energy), and fabricated solely using materials common in the U.S.
Energy storage – (1)we recommend long-term, portable storage of solar energy through hydrogen generation directly from solar cells (photoelectrochemical hydrolysis), using the above photovoltaic materials. (2)short-term energy storage using quantum supercapacitors, the only known technology that can store more energy, and release it more quickly, than a battery/capacitor hybrid.
Solar concentration – our holographic concentrators have output exceeding 1000 suns, with virtually perfect spectral fidelity (matching AM1.5) from 400 to 1100 nm. They can also be fabricated inexpensively.
RAN Science & Technology Research Interests
Solar Energy
• Optimize Materials (multijunction, nanoelectronics)
• Physics-based Limitations on PV Efficiency
• Camouflage/Advertise
• Generate H2 “Directly”
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Laser Development and Applications
• High Power Laser Systems
• Solid-State: Er:YAG/Multiple, Fiber
• Chemical: Four-wave mixing in HF
• Mutual Injection Locking
• Diode Laser Beam Combination
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Nonlinear Optics
• Fast Photorefractive Effect: Ultra-long-range interferometry and vibrometry, Narrowband optical amplification
• Upconversion and Downconversion
• Infrared Detection
• Phase Shifting for use in Laser Beam Combination
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Nondestructive Evaluation/Metrology/Nano
• Shearography for finding buried defects in multilayer and composite structures
• High-resolution white light interferometry for automated measurement
• “Nanodust” NIR detector, using quantum dot size detector material to replace dopants
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Holography
• Holographic Measurements
• Holographic Optical Elements
• Color Shifting
• Solar Concentration
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