Date: Jan 15, 2008 Source: ARMY SBIR Success Stories (
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High power eye-safe lasers are crucial for many military and industrial applications. Erbium-doped lasers offer the potential for direct laser operation at 1.5 microns, thereby reducing the size and cost and improving the efficiency of today's frequency converted one-micron lasers.
Under SBIR, nLIGHT Corporation developed high power, high efficiency diode sources for pumping solid-state lasers and for direct diode applications. Based on InP semiconductor technology, these devices operate at eye-safe wavelengths around 1.5um. The measured continuous output power at room temperature is in excess of 100W per laser bar, which is an industry record at this wavelength.
This achievement benefits military and commercial applications that depend on eye-safe laser technology. One product example is a package capable of emitting a highly collimated laser beam at 1.5µm, useful for direct diode range-finding.
Another example is a diode laser technology capable of being packaged in actively and passively cooled packages for flash LADAR (Laser Radar) and directed energy applications. Additionally, this technology will result in kilowatt class laser diode stacks operating at 1470-nm. These laser diodes will find important applications in high power eye-safe military laser systems as well as in emerging dermatology and material processing markets.
Phase III Impacts:
Initial sales of these lasers to DoD contractors have exceeded $1.46M. Prototype laser bars have been delivered to DoD agencies, University researchers (e.g., University of Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and Hampton University); and private industry (e.g., Fibertek) to promote advanced laser systems development.
To date, nLIGHT has not received direct Phase III investment from DoD agencies; however, these devices are components that require integration into other systems by prime contractors before acquisition by the DoD. nLight sales are dominated by commercial transactions.
These laser diodes will find important applications in high power eye-safe military laser systems as well as in emerging dermatology and material processing markets.
