Competing for the Future: A Historical Review of NIST ATP Investments in Photonics and Optical Technologies Information Technology and Electronics Office Advanced Technology Program [View Adobe PDF version of factsheet.]

Throughout its 105 year history, NIST has sought to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.  The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) has helped NIST accomplish this vision by helping U.S. companies compete; by bridging the gap between the research lab and the marketplace to stimulate prosperity through innovation.

Between 1990 and 2004, ATP held 44 competitions resulting in the funding of 768 projects, involving 1,511 participants and an equal number of subcontractors. These innovative R&D projects included 218 joint venture and 550 single company awards, comprising $4,371 million of high technical risk R&D – of which the ATP share is $2,269 million and the industry share is $2,102 million. Nearly 66% of all ATP awards have been led by small companies.

In photonics and optical (P&O) technologies, ATP has stimulated 127 projects and more than $774.4 million of industry-defined, company executed innovative R&D. These cost-shared P&O awards directly sought the creation of new photonics and optical technologies, leading to new-to-the-market products, goods, and services.

ATP Awards in Photonics and Optical (P&O) Technologies (1990-2004)

ATP co-funded projects in photonics and optical technologies fall within two categories.  Those that: Develop technologies for light-based products, or products based on other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon (generally considered infra-red and shorter wavelengths), or Develop systems technologies, for a variety of commercial applications, which are enabled by the application of advancements in light-based technologies to solve a core technical problem.

A History of Success

The photonics and optical technologies industry within the U.S. is largely built upon the innovations and ideas that have emerged from within academic and laboratory entities across the country, and then brought to the market - typically by small and medium sized companies that may be located within photonics regional clusters1 .  Because of the complex nature of the innovation, expertise across multiple entities is often needed. These characteristics are reflected within ATP’s funding history. Between 1990 and 2004, approximately 72% of all ATP projects in photonics and optical technologies have involved small or medium sized U.S. companies.  On average, any one ATP P&O award involved in excess of 1.6 corporate, academic or laboratory entities. In addition, over 36% of all ATP P&O awards have involved teaming among multiple joint venture participants. Thus, funding by ATP in photonics and optical technologies has been especially successful in aiding the competitive foundation of the U.S. photonics and optics industry, has benefited small and medium sized entrepreneurs, and has stimulated teaming between corporations and needed partners.

The role of light in our lives has expanded enormously over the last several decades and will continue to expand as new challenges emerge.  The projects that have been funded by ATP are the ideas of U.S. industry; their view of what innovative R&D is needed will translate, if successful, into large national economic benefits.  As technology evolves or as matters of high national importance arise, optical based technologies will be an integral part of the solutions developed to meeting the challenge. Relative to topics of high national importance in today’s world, ATP projects in photonics and optical technologies impact the following four areas:  Energy, Homeland Security, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology. 

Impact of ATP Photonics and Optical (P&O) Technology Awards
on National Priority Areas

NIST Helps U.S. Industry Compete

The 127 ATP funded projects in photonics and optical technologies can be grouped within eight application areas (Figure 1). Within these eight areas, two in particular - Measurement & Inspection and Production & Processing of Materials - impact across the U.S. manufacturing infrastructure, and illustrate the wide utility of optical technologies in solving manufacturing challenges. Combined, ATP investments in these two infrastructure areas represent approximately 30% of the total R&D funding in photonics and optical technologies stimulated by ATP, and approximately $230 M of industry R&D.

ATP's funded projects in Measurement & Inspection have directly impacted a number of diverse end-use applications including semiconductor manufacturing, structural health monitoring, piece-part and discrete manufacturing, bio-manufacturing, and health and safety. NIST's funding by the ATP has led to innovative new technologies and equipment for measurement and inspection that has helped to strengthen U.S. metrology capabilities. This metrology is important not only for aiding U.S. manufacturing, but also in meeting matters of national importance including homeland security.

The following is a brief look at some of the specific projects and results that have been accomplished as a result of ATP's funding in photonics and optical technologies.

InPhase Technologies, Inc., of Longmont, CO, was co-funded in 2002 and 2003 to develop and demonstrate the use of rewriteable recording materials for holographic data storage systems, and to create a prototype optical data storage device that proves the viability of using holographic 3D techniques. InPhase demonstrated in April 2006 the highest data density of any commercial technology by recording 515 gigabits of data per square inch. The first generation drive has a capacity of 300 gigabytes on a single disk with a 20 megabyte per second transfer rate. The first product will be followed by a family ranging from 800GB to 1.6 terabyte (TB) capacity. On October 21, 2005 InPhase and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. recorded a promotional advertisement into InPhase's Tapestry™ holographic disk and holographic prototype drive. The ad was then aired at the scheduled time.

Under an existing award, Actuality Systems, Inc., of Burlington, MA, is using ATP cost-share to advance holographic visualization technology from still images to full-motion full color images suitable for use in scientific visualization, medical evaluation, and entertainment. The company seeks to overcome challenges related to image resolution, data processing, and consumer-level pricing. Potential applications of affordable holographic video technology are many, especially in the $22 billion visualization and simulation market. Earlier, Actuality Systems received a 2003 Photonics Circle of Excellence award from Photonics Spectra magazine for its early 3D system.

Sage Electrochromics, Inc., of Faribault, MN, a 1993 ATP awardee, was a 2004 R&D 100 Award winner by R&D Magazine, a recognized journal for the nation's technology industry. Sage was recognized for their innovative "switchable" absorbing electrochromic window. "SageGlass allows the user to control the amount of incoming sunlight and solar heat with the push of a button. Applying a low DC voltage to the electrochromic device in its "clear" state causes the active electrochromic layers to darken; reversing the voltage polarity causes the layers to lighten. A house full of SageGlass windows takes less energy to run than a single 75 W incandescent light bulb."

The following reports also document long-term results and economic benefits of earlier ATP co-funded P&O awards.  

• Non-Contact Optical Metrology of Complex Surface Forms for Precision Industrial Manufacturing Corning Tropel Corporation (formerly Tropel Corporation)
  Fairport, NY
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/95-01-0022.htm
• Monolithic Multi-wavelength Laser Diode Array Spanning 430 to 1100nm JDS Uniphase Corporation (formerly SDL, Inc.)
  San Jose, CA
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/91-01-0176.htm
• X-Ray and Neutron Focusing and Collimating Optics X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc.
  Albany, NY
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/91-01-0112.htm
• Incoherent Combining of Radiation 2 dimensional Array of Semiconductor Lasers Cynosure, Inc. Bedford, MA
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/92-01-0136.htm  
• IMOS Infrastructure for Photonics Manufacturing Digital Optics Corporation Charlotte, NC
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/98-02-0034.htm
• Color Sequential Imaging ColorLink, Inc.
  Boulder, CO
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/96-01-0263.htm
• High Information Content Display Technology Kopin Corporation
  Tuanton, MA
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/94-01-0304.htm
• Holographic Graded-Index Non-Lambertian Scattering Screens and Components with Light-Shaping Capability Physical Optics Corporation
  Torrance, CA
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/93-01-0205.htm
• Robust, Fast 3-D Image Processing and Feature Extraction Tools for Industrial Automation Applications Perceptron, Inc. Farmington Hills, MI
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/93-01-0071.htm
• FLC/VLSI High-Definition Image Generators Displaytech, Inc. Longmont, CO
  http://statusreports.atp.nist.gov/reports/94-01-0402.htm

For information about the Advanced Technology Program, contact:

• Phone: (800) ATP-FUND (800-287-3863) Internet: http://www.atp.nist.gov/
• E-mail: atp@nist.gov
• Fax: (301) 926-9524
• Mail: Advanced Technology Program
  National Institute of Standards and Technology
  100 Bureau Drive, MS4700
  Gaithersburg, MD 20899-4700

For further information on these and other ATP funded projects, visit the ATP website at www.atp.nist.gov/

Date created: May 12, 2006
Last updated: May 15, 2006