Ultrashort pulse (USP) lasers have unique interactions with matter, interactions that include the ability to athermally ablate materials, create micron-resolution texturing of surfaces, and provide diagnostic, sensing, and imaging capabilities. Of particular interest to the Navy is the potential use of USP lasers for aircraft self-defense applications. However, the propagation of a USP signal through the atmosphere inevitably results in changes to the temporal, spectral and spatial characteristics of the pulse, which diminishes the effectiveness of the signal. In this Phase I SBIR, Raydiance proposes to develop an autonomous, self-monitoring pulse tailoring system that will pre-compensate for atmospheric effects so that the desired pulse energy and quality can be delivered on target, regardless of field conditions. Key tasks in the program will be to develop integrated devices and methods for ultrafast laser self-diagnosis, laser pulse shaping and tuning, control algorithms for autonomous monitoring and programming the nature of the laser output, and designing an architecture that enables a user to program the temporal, spatial, and spectral characteristics of the output. Potential option phase tasks include building an experimental version of the system with bench-top hardware and designing a prototype that incorporates real-time pulse characterization and user-selected optimization.
Benefit: Pulse tailoring enables one to precisely control the output pulses of an ultrashort pulse laser, a capability that offers considerable benefits for commercial micromachining applications. In particular, control of the temporal, spatial and spectral qualities of laser pulses enables a predictable and consistent ablation process, which is critical for industrial processing of high performance and high value alloys, ceramics and other novel compounds. These applications include micromachining biodegradable polymers for implantable medical devices, microfluidics chips for medical diagnosis, semiconductor wafers, and thin film photovoltaic materials. A second major field of commercial opportunity will be that of USP-powered surgical tools and procedures. The ability to offer consistent ablation of a range of human tissue types will be critical in meeting stringent clinical and regulatory standards. Finally, with the advent of pulse tailoring technology, a longer term potential commercial market exists in providing USP-based self-defense capabilities for civilian aircraft.
Keywords: ultrafast, ultrafast, Ultra short pulse, LASER, Optics, usp
