Compact Efficient High Energy Pulsed Laser

The primary goal of this STTR topic is to develop novel, effective methods for material ablation and penetration during airborne missions. This effort seeks innovations in long-pulse lasers intended for airborne platforms. The final deliverable will be a laser system provided to the Navy to explore the feasibility and military utility of this technology. A successful project will document, design, and test a robust, turn-key, long-pulse laser system that meets the following performance specifications: • Pulse Energy: 10 J or greater • Repetition Rate: Tunable up to 40 kHz • Pulse Generation: Capable of producing single, on-demand pulses • Pulse Duration: Greater than 5 nanoseconds • Thermal Management: Must adequately manage heat while operating at high repetition rates and maximum power for a duration of at least 10 seconds. (Note: This duty cycle is significantly longer than commercially available systems.) The resulting system must be engineered for practical field use with the following characteristics: • Compact - an optimal volume of approximately 80 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches high - with a clear path to packaging. • Maintainable and operable by non-laser specialists, i.e., basic operations (e.g., system startup and shutdown, changing the repetition rate) should not require a laser engineer to perform manual realignment of optical components. • Minimal required maintenance. (Note: If flashlamp pumping is used, the lamps must be exchangeable without the expertise of a laser engineer.) Proposals should adhere to the following guidelines: • The highest priorities for this effort are repetition rate tunability and pulse energy. • Pulse duration and center frequency are flexible parameters but must be sufficient to demonstrate laser-material interactions. • If the requirements for all parameters are deemed infeasible, proposals should specify what can be achieved. Evaluations will be scored accordingly. • The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components is permitted; however, the project will require novel laser engineering to achieve the desired performance. • Coherent beam combining is an acceptable approach to reach the specified pulse energies.