A -- request for information high power solid state laser

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) - HIGH POWER SOLID STATE LASER. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Solid State Lasers Branch (DELO), as part of the Directed Energy Directorate (DE) at Kirtland AFB NM is seeking information, comments and suggestions, on its draft plan for high-power solid-state laser technology. Contractors funded under this accelerated laser development program will use modeling and simulation, analysis, design, experimentation, and testing to demonstrate and deliver to the Air Force a 25 kW-class, near diffraction limited diode-pumped solid-state laser. Consideration shall be given to laser system size, weight, efficiency, reliability, scalability to the 100 kW level, maintainability, supportability, environmental acceptability, and ruggedness. The laser system should be modularized (i.e. the laser head physically separated from the power supplies, control console and cooling system) to support the installation and safe operation at Government facilities and to facilitate eventual testing using platform specific subsystems. For similar reasons, provision shall be made for remote control of the deliverable system. The ambient operating temperature range of the device should be 40 to 100 degrees F. The system's storage temperature range should be -10 to 110 F. AFRL is specifically interested in approaches that address the following goals: (a) The average power of the laser output beam shall be at least 25kW. (b) The laser beam quality shall be better than 1.5 times the diffraction limit (xDL) with a goal of 1.2 xDL. The beam quality specification shall be based on a power-in-the-bucket measurement in the far field. This beam quality shall be maintained for the entire run-time as specified in (f). (c) The contractor shall perform a intermediate stage laser demonstration at an average output power and beam quality that clearly shows scalability to the program goal outlined in (a) and (b). At this point, the contractor will assess the risk involved in reaching the 25 kW power level and present a risk reduction plan to the Government. (d) The laser system wall-plug efficiency shall be greater than 10%. Herein, wall-plug efficiency is defined as the average optical output power of the laser divided by the sum of all electrical average power delivered to all power supplies, drivers, cooling systems, pumps, and control devices used in the laser. (e) The start up time for the laser shall be less than 50 ms. This is defined as the time required to go from a stand-by condition to a condition where all output requirements are met. Stand by condition is defined as all temperature maintenance operational but no power delivered to the optical pumping mechanism for the laser. (f) The run time of the laser shall be greater than 300 seconds as measured from the time the output power meets the requirement of (a) and (b) to the time optical input power is shut down. The laser shall be able to meet this run time in any combination of time increments. The laser shall meet the requirements of (e) for every time increment. (g) The total beam jitter shall be no greater than 5% of the far field instantaneous beam diameter as measured at the Full-Width-Half-Maximum (FWHM) power points. (h) The waste heat from the laser shall be delivered in a mode compatible with an on-board aircraft heat exchanger. There shall be no open cycle or blow down cooling techniques used in the laser. (i) Average output power to mass ratio for the laser head shall be greater than 100W/kg. The laser head is nominally defined as the laser system minus the system heat exchangers, coolers, power supplies, wiring, tubing, etc. The laser head typically includes gain media and associated fixed attachments (diodes, heat exchangers, mechanical structures, etc.), optics, mounts, along with a base plate, cover, and necessary fixtures. This RFI announcement is issued for information and planning purposes, rather than procurement purposes, and no funding will be provided by AFRL for effort in response to this RFI. The due date for response is 9:00 AM MDST on 01 July 2002. Electronic response is encouraged; send via email attachment in MS Word format to Capt Kalliroi Lagonik at contact@example.gov. Questions regarding the RFI itself may be directed to Capt Lagonik at +1 (555) 000-0000. The anticipated release date for the PRDA announcement is 19 July 2002.