| Sol No.: |
Navy SBIR FY2012.1 |
| Topic No.: |
N121-068 |
| Topic Title: |
Improved High-Power Performance in Fiber Laser Systems |
| Proposal No.: |
N121-068-1134 |
| Firm: |
nLight Photonics
5408 NE 88th Street, Bldg E
Vancouver, Washington 98665 |
| Contact: |
Manoj Kanskar |
| Phone: |
(360) 553-9694 |
| Web Site: |
www.nlight.net |
| Abstract: |
nLight proposes to develop and commercialize an innovative kilo-watt class fiber laser pump combiner which is especially suited for counter-pumping architectures that is indispensable for various coherent combining techniques. The key advantages of this proposed technology over the current state-of-the art are: its superior power-handling capability due to use of all-metal/glass in the package; lack of signal beam distortion while maintaining high polarization extinction ratio; capability to inject pump power at multiple locations along the gain fiber for power-scaling purpose; absence of any passive relay fiber that is notoriously responsible for earlier onset of Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS); an agile technology that allows coupling to various geometry fibers (PM or non-PM) without having to ab intio redesign the coupler while providing higher reliability and lower manufacturing cost. nLight will demonstrate kilowatt-class amplifier using this pump combiner and its proprietary active fiber. |
| Benefits: |
This technology will enable nLight to push its products to higher output powers for both CW and pulsed fiber lasers that are targeted for DoD and industrial materials processing applications. |