TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Sensors, Weapons

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-272, Advanced Tactical Aircraft IRCM

OBJECTIVE: Design a completely automated pulse tailoring capability for ultrashort pulsed laser (USPL) systems.

DESCRIPTION: The ultimate utility of USPL devices for next-generation laser applications may require more control over the temporal, spatial, and spectral nature than is currently available in commercial USPL systems. Current generation systems temporally shape USPLs via one or more manually adjustable optics within a very complicated grating-based compressor stage. While this method is effective and well understood, it is also very labor intensive and requires a significant level of expertise. To maximize the future utility of this laser technology, techniques and systems that measure and optimize the detailed properties (i.e. temporal, spatial, spectral) of a USPL system need to be fully integrated into the laser architecture and operating system so that the laser itself can self-diagnose and self-correct to optimize performance.

PHASE I: Design and develop an innovative and comprehensive USPL architecture that allows a user to fully and automatically monitor and program the temporal, spatial, and spectral nature of the laser output. Where appropriate, develop and use modeling to prove the feasibility.

PHASE II: Build, demonstrate, and characterize a prototype system suitable for commercial packaging that incorporates comprehensive real-time pulse characterization and user-selected optimization.

PHASE III: Transition, incorporate and/or manufacture the automated pulse tailoring capability developed in Phase II and assist in the engineering integration and testing into existing or future systems.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Potential commercial applications include law enforcement, maritime and aviation systems, medical, and homeland defense.

REFERENCES:
1. Agrawal, G. P. (2001). Nonlinear Fiber Optics. Third Edition, San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

2. Gunaratne, T. , Kangas, M. , Singh, S. , Gross, A. & Dantus, M. (2006). Influence of Bandwidth and Phase Shaping on Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy with Ultrashort Laser Pulses. Chem. Phys. Lett., 423, 197, 201.

3. Diels, J. C. & Rudolph, W. (1996). Ultrashort Laser Pulse Phenomena. Academic Press.
KEYWORDS: Lasers; Ultrashort Pulsed Lasers (USPL); Laser Generation; Aircraft Self-Protection; Pulse Tailoring; Nonlinear Fiber Optics

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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