Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplifier at Eye-Safer Wavelengths Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Topic No.: N121-059 Topic Title: Optical Parametric Chirped Pulse Amplifier at Eye-Safer Wavelengths Proposal No.: N121-059-0270 Firm: Physical Optics Corporation Applied Technologies Division 1845 W. 205th Street Torrance, California 90501-1510 Contact: Oleg Korovyanko Phone: (310) 320-3088 Web Site: www.poc.com Abstract: To address the Navy need for a high-pulse-energy amplifier at eye-safe wavelengths, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop an Eye-Safe Optical Parametric Chirped-Pulse Amplifier (ES-OPCPA). It is based on an Er-doped fiber oscillator used as a seed, periodically poled crystal, in the first stages, and a two-beam pump in the final stage. The innovation in combining several amplifying media and the optimal design of the amplifiers will enable ES-OPCPA to reach an amplifier output of >500 mJ, ~100 fs. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the amplifier reaching that output by designing and building an ES-OPCPA prototype scaled down in repetition rate, and will prepare a Phase II development plan including performance goals and key technical milestones. In Phase II, POC plans to build and demonstrate a unit reaching 0.5 J pulse energy level at a higher repetition rate of 1 kHz. Benefits: The proposed ES-OPCPA will be the first commercial product of this type, compatible with a diode-pumped solid-state laser pump source. The contrast ratio of output pulses will exceed that currently offered by regenerative and multipass amplifiers without any special pulse cleaning technique applied. ES-OPCPA can create a discharge channel in the atmosphere, and can be applied in LIDARs, meteorology, remote sensing of atmospheric gases and aerosols, lightning control, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering. It also can be used in laser-plasma sources of high-energy electrons and X-rays. POC plans to make the product commercially available to government, academic, medical, and industrial customers following transfer to manufacturing in Phase III. The commercial prototype will contain a platform allowing stable field operation. Return