Press Release

Boulder Nonlinear Systems developing optical technology for NASA Langley

August, 2003 — Lafayette, Colo., July 21, 2003 — Boulder Nonlinear Systems, leaders in liquid crystal optical devices, today announced it has been contracted by NASA Langley Research Center to develop spatial light modulators (SLMs) for non-mechanical beam steering, which will be used in aeronautic and aerospace applications.

Optical beam steering is used to for the precise and controllable delivery of multiple laser beams to individual targets. It also has applications in secure, point to point communications, remote sensing and optical switching environments.

Traditionally, optical beam steering uses a mechanical system in which a mirror mounted on a gimbal is rotated to achieve the desired deflection angle. Boulder Nonlinear System’s technology uses thin, solid-state liquid crystal SLMs to deliver greater performance, better control and reduced size and power consumption. Because the system contains no moving parts, it is not affected by the pointing and stabilization problems that arise when using mechanical systems in rigorous aeronautic and aerospace environments.

Additionally, the lack of mechanization gives the SLM a smaller, thinner form factor, meaning it does not have the same spatial requirements of previous technology, and gives engineers greater freedom of design.

“The optical communication and optical sensing industries have evolved dramatically over the past few years, but beam steering — a fundamental component — still relies on mirror and gimbal technology,” said Marty Best, president and CEO of Boulder Nonlinear Systems. “As systems get more advanced and are required to operate in more extreme conditions, the limitations of mechanical beam steering become a substantial issue. Non-mechanical beam steering is the logical next step, and it has significant potential to replace existing gimbal technology.”

The design being developed for NASA is based upon Boulder Nonlinear System’s 1 X 4096 SLM, which is currently available to OEMs. Depending on what type of liquid crystal material the device is filled with, it can be used as a fully programmable one-dimensional diffractive beam steering array; it can be used for amplitude modulation in applications such as high-speed printing; or it can provide programmable analog polarization rotation.

Boulder Nonlinear’s photonics devices and systems are based on high-performance ferroelectric and nematic liquid crystal technology. The company’s advanced liquid crystal optics technology is used in telecommunications, medical instruments, defense and manufacturing. Its innovative liquid crystal on silicon modulators have applications ranging from holographic storage to microscopic cell manipulation.

For more information, visit www.bouldernonlinear.com, or call 1-866-466-0506.

About Boulder Nonlinear Systems
Boulder Nonlinear Systems, Inc. (BNS) is an innovative technology company specializing in dynamic liquid crystal polarization control solutions for both laser-based and imaging systems. Company strengths in scientific research and development are leveraged into OEM and standard product offerings targeted for astronomy, biomedical, defense, microscopy, optical computing, optical storage, and telecommunications applications.

Additional information about Boulder Nonlinear Systems can be found at the company's website at www.bouldernonlinearsystems.com.

CONTACTS:
Kelly Gregorak, Director of Sales & Marketing
Boulder Nonlinear Systems
303-604-0077
kelly@bnonlinear.com