Lithium Niobate Fabrication and Processing

The Department of Defense, specifically the Navy, is seeking innovative solutions for the fabrication and processing of optical quality lithium niobate (LiNbO3 or LN) substrates through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The objective is to develop methods for producing high-quality LN substrates that meet stringent specifications for composition uniformity, Curie temperature, refractive index, and impurity levels, which are critical for various optical applications, including telecommunications and quantum sensors. This initiative aims to revitalize the U.S. supply chain for LN materials, which has significantly declined, and to support the development of photonic integrated circuits and high-precision inertial sensors. The solicitation is currently in pre-release, with an open date of January 8, 2025, and a close date of February 5, 2025. Interested parties can find more information and submit proposals through the official SBIR website at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/.