Many Science and Technology (S&T) activities depend on specialized laboratories. Aside from enabling testing, development, and prototyping, these facilities allow potential sponsors to observe demonstrations. Facilities essential to the S&T Business Areas for support of its programs are two quantum optics laboratories (one a closed area); a set of limited-access facilities supporting the Securities Technology Institute; several microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) development and testing facilities; mass-spectrometry laboratories; several computer laboratories; and general-purpose chemical, electronic, and optical laboratories.
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The Microbiological Analysis Laboratory supports counterproliferation programs that involve biological agent detection. These programs use the Microbiological Analysis Laboratory's capabilities in the growth, identification, quantification, and analysis of bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This laboratory is designed for evaluating environmental background collections, but it can also support a wide range of microbiological investigations. Technologies used in these investigations encompass biochemistry, mass spectrometry, microbiology, mycology, molecular biology, electronics, materials, information processing, biomedicine, and modeling and simulation.
The laboratory has extensive analysis tools and equipment needed for this work. For example, it contains a chemical hood; three biological safety cabinets; dual-atmosphere, cell-culture, and shaker incubators; an autoclave; a refrigerator and a deep-freeze; a microbiological identification unit; a fluorescence microscope; an anaerobe chamber; a matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometer; an electrophoresis system; a sterile water supply, a centrifuge, and much else. The laboratory is kept under negative pressure for biological containment, and all work surfaces and ceiling materials are impervious to liquids. Stringent safety protocols are used for the handling and disposal of biological material. |
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 Basic research and development efforts in nonlinear optics at the two-photon level, quantum cryptography, quantum computing, and other nonclassical effects in quantum optics are conducted in the Quantum Optics Laboratory. The facility contains three large laser systems as well as a variety of optics, detectors, polarization elements, and fiber-optic devices. A fully operational prototype quantum communication system in the facility is capable of sending encoded messages between two computers through fiber-optic lines or free space. The security of these messages is absolutely guaranteed by basic laws of quantum physics. The facility is also equipped with a vacuum system for constructing atomic vapor cells needed for several areas involving fundamental interactions of light with atomic systems.
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RASCL is used in the investigation of a variety of technologies, including tagging, tracking, locating (TTL); miniaturized radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver development; programmable, agile, wireless network hardware and firmware development; and unattended aerial sensor (UAS) payloads and autonomy development. The laboratory specializes in the rapid prototyping of devices and systems related to these technologies, with capabilities available to take concepts through the design, fabrication, testing, and packaging phases. Some of the design and development capabilities include field programmable gate array (FPGA) development tools, schematic and printed circuit board design packages, RF emulation tools, embedded systems development tools, and surface mount technology fabrication equipment. Test equipment includes digital, analog, and RF equipment for systems operating from DC through millimeter wave. This equipment includes logic analyzers, network analyzers, vector analyzers, spectrum analyzers, and digitizing oscilloscopes. The UAS test bed features several platoon-class vehicles, including the Mig drone, the Trans-Atlantic Model, and, in the near future, two DragonEye vehicles, as well as all flight support and ground equipment. The laboratory also includes a hardware-in-the-loop simulation capability for multiple networked UAS systems.
The Tactical Biometrics Laboratory is designed for the performance of applied research and the development of sensor systems for the measurement of biologically based human characteristics for non-cooperative subjects. The objective of this research and development is the identification and authentication of an individual through the measurements of anatomical, physiological, and/or behavioral characteristics, particularly under conditions where the biometrics are captured under less-tha- ideal conditions. The traditional biometric technologies include analyses of fingerprints, hand geometry, retinal and iris patterns, hand-written signatures, voice and facial recognition, and DNA. These technologies have proven very effective and are typically utilized in an independent manner. However, ensuring a high level of confidence in the accuracy of the identification/authentication measurement generally requires an advance and detailed knowledge (profile) of the subject of interest. In many situations, prior biometric data acquisition is either very limited or just not feasible. Therefore, the measurement results can be inherently unreliable, especially when operating in a single technology mode. For that reason, we are performing research on novel sensor development, multi-modalities, data fusion, and the use of phenotypic information based on familial genetic composition. These efforts in tactical biometrics will help to generate biometric profiles for unknown individuals of interest. Furthermore, using data fusion and combining the results in a multimodal fashion will enhance the measurement performance and reliability. In addition, the development of new and improved measurement technologies will yield more effective and efficient biometric data acquisition techniques.
The primary purpose of this laboratory is to conduct research in the development of field portable mass spectrometers. Of particular interest are miniature time-of-flight mass spectrometers that are used for broadband detection of chemical and biological weapons. Current capabilities include performance analysis, prototype development, basic research, sensor development, and design and fabrication in the fields of mass spectrometry, electronics, and signal processing.
The facility houses several prototype time-of-flight mass spectrometers along with supporting hardware such as vacuum systems, data-collection equipment, and several laser systems.
Basic research and development on the design, processing, and characterization of MEMS sensor components and subsystems are carried out in the MEMS Laboratory. The overall objective is to have an in-house ability to produce state-of-the-art systems containing multiple sensors on a single chip in order to meet various APL program and applications requirements. The sensors, transduction schemes, and control electronics building blocks will form a library to enable systems to be custom-made at the mask level. Particular emphasis is being placed on the development of systems using comlementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) and silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) foundry services such as MEMSCAP, MOSIS, and Peregrine Semiconductor. The facility contains several reconfigurable characterization stations used to characterize mechanical components or optical transduction schemes. The facility is also equipped with a versatile vacuum test chamber for studying resonant structures in the absence of viscous damping. Current sensors being developed include gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, and hydrophones.
The Micropropulsion Laboratory is equipped for the assembly, inspection, testing, and evaluation of various miniature propulsion technologies for atmospheric or space applications. We are currently using the laboratory to investigate pulsed-plasma electric propulsion devices and synthetic jet actuators for flow control. These micropropulsion devices are fabricated by JHU/APL staff at our Laurel, MD campus. Final electromechanical assembly of these devices takes place in the Micropropulsion Laboratory. The laboratory has a stereoscope with a digital camera for examining and documenting structures with extremely small features. The laboratory also has pneumatically isolated optical benches and vacuum tanks for conducting sensitive benchtop experiments with these devices. We are currently using a laser interferometer system capable of detecting impulse bits smaller than 1 µN-s.
The Terahertz (THz) Laboratory provides imaging and spectroscopy capabilities with electromagnetic waves between approximately 100 GHz and 20 THz (20,000 GHz). This frequency range has recently attracted interest for a number of reasons: terahertz electromagnetic radiation allows images to be taken with resolutions better than 1 mm; most nonmetallic materials, such as paper, clothing, cardboard, and shoes, are transparent in this frequency range; many organic materials have characteristic terahertz spectra that can be used for detection and/or identification; and terahertz radiation is nonionizing and safe for human exposure. Current APL projects in terahertz research involve trace detection of explosives and chemical agents, development of terahertz sources and imaging arrays, and design of terahertz meta-materials with novel electromagnetic properties.
The Terahertz laboratory has three independent terahertz time-domain spectrometers (TDS). For a terahertz TDS, a short electromagnetic pulse is generated by an ultra-short laser pulse in an electro-optic crystal, and the resulting electric field is measured as a function of time. Via Fourier-transformation, the frequency spectrum can be obtained, and absorption and dispersion can be calculated as a function of frequency. Two of the setups use a 150-fs laser pulse together with a photoconductive emitter as the terahertz pulse source. These setups cover the frequency range from approximately 100 to 2600 GHz. One setup allows measurements of transmission with a focused beam of approximately 1 mm diameter. The second setup allows measurements in reflection with either a focused or a collimated beam. In this setup, the sample is mounted to a positioning system to allow imaging. The third setup uses a 12-fs laser pulse in connection with an electro-optic crystal or polymer, and allows measurements of transmission or reflection over a frequency range from approximately 1 THz to 12 THz in a dry nitrogen atmosphere to remove water vapor absorption.
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Facilities