Navy funds Digital Optics to develop diffractive optics

Digital Optics Corp. (Charlotte, NC) has just completed the first phase of a Small Business Innovation Research contract for diffractive optics development, funded by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Dahlgren, VA). During the six-month program, Digital Optics researchers designed and fabricated 125-µm-diameter diffractive focusing elements to couple light into optical fiber for datalinks and communications applications. Terms of Phase II are currently under negotiation.