CTI's experience with high energy, mil-spec laser systems makes us keenly aware that the environmental controls for such lasers can be larger, heavier, and more power-hungry than the lasers themselves. The next generation of airborne lasers must address this situation head-on in order for dramatic advances in laser technology to achieve widespread utilization. CTI is taking a fresh look at high power green lasers by removing temperature control requirements from three key subsystems - pump lasers, laser crystal, and doubling crystal. Diode lasers are used as the pump source to obtain the efficiencies necessary in power-limited platforms such as UAVs. Our design process is prioritized by the weight and power consumption goals of the Navy, and utilizes several recently demonstrated innovative CTI technologies that enable compact, high beam-quality, high-energy output. Phase I provided a detailed laser design and critical validation demonstrations. Phase II will design and deliver a 4 W breadboard transmitter for further Navy laboratory testing. The effort will extensively leverage multiple existing CTI programs, including a MARCOR SYSCOM program for surf zone mine detection, that are developing these technologies.
Keywords: Air-Cooled, Laser Radar, High Efficiency, Laser Diode, Green Transmitter, High Power, Mine Detection.
