Photonics Technology Access Program (PTAP) Michael Lebby, Optoelectronics Industry Development Association 0630553
Intellectual Merit: This award renews the Photonics Technology Access Program (PTAP) for an additional two years. PTAP was established in July 2002 under NSF and DARPA support. The goal of the program is to improve the availability of novel photonics prototypes to academic researchers who can use the prototypes to advance discovery and understanding in photonics and provide feedback to the industry. PTAP uses government funds to procure pre-commercial, experimental, or research prototypes from industry for qualified researchers in a competitive solicitation and evaluation process. These prototypes may comprise novel materials, material structures, devices and device arrays, circuits, and modules. By making state-of-the-art prototypes available, PTAP transactions will continue to influence new programs sponsored by various funding agencies. The program will strive to reach an average of 25% cost sharing by researchers for device purchase to place the program on a path to becoming self-sustaining. PTAP plans to request proposals from academia for evaluation twice per program year and to fulfill between 50 and 75 device transactions per year. PTAP expects academic researchers to average at least one publication per device transaction.
Broader Impacts: New technology is evolving at an increasing rate and industry is commercializing a wide range of new products. Access to pre-commercial prototypes may be difficult, especially for young, lesser-known faculty, or researchers from disciplines other than Electrical Engineering who want to use photonic devices in their work. If researchers can obtain devices only when they are available commercially, by the time they complete their research, their work and publications are one or two generations behind leading-edge technology. Teaching is an important aspect of PTAP. Students get training on the most advanced state-of-the-art technology, and are better equipped when they enter the workforce. Faculty may also use the prototypes to enhance teaching, training and learning in class demonstrations and teaching laboratories.
