The Department of Energy (DOE) has a need for a compact, high speed, Acousto-Optic Tuner for rapidly tuning carbon dioxide lasers. The tunable lasers will be used for the remote detection and analysis of chemical effluents of concern to several DOE mission areas. High repetition rate carbon dioxide lasers are needed for rapid random access tuning. Present methods for acousto-optic tuning are inadequate due to high drive power, low speed and insufficient resolution. The objective of this project is to overcome the limitation of present technology and to develop an efficient, fast and high-resolution acousto-optic tuner. Phase I will analyze two acousto-optic tuner techniques and demonstrate a feasibility model.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The acousto-optic tunable laser, if successfully demonstrated, will provide important application to communication, manufacturing, medical, and other applications.
