OPTICAL LIMITERS WITH THERMOCHROMIC MATERIAL AND NANOSTRUCTURES FOR FACILITATING APERTURE PROTECTION

• Main Author: Lam, Tai Anh
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.06.2020
• Subjects: AEROPLANES; AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DOORS, WINDOWS, SHUTTERS, OR ROLLER BLINDS IN GENERAL; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FIXED OR MOVABLE CLOSURES FOR OPENINGS IN BUILDINGS, VEHICLES,FENCES OR LIKE ENCLOSURES IN GENERAL, e.g. DOORS, WINDOWS,BLINDS, GATES; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; HELICOPTERS; LADDERS; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TRANSPORTING

Various techniques provide systems and methods for facilitating aperture protection. In one example, a system for facilitating aperture protection is provided. The system includes an optical limiter device. The optical limiter device includes a thermochromic material and a plurality of nanostructures, where each of the nanostructures is in contact with a portion of the thermochromic material. At least a subset of the nanostructures is configured to receive incident light and generate heat in response to the incident light. At least a portion of the thermochromic material is configured to transition from a first state to a second state in response to the heat and block the incident light when the portion is in the second state. The portion is configured to transition from the second state back to the first state when the portion cools, such as upon removal of the incident light. Related methods and products are also provided.