High-Power Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser Array with Continuous-Wave Output Power Exceeding 100W Navy SBIR FY2014.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2014.2 Topic No.: N142-093 Topic Title: High-Power Mid-Infrared Quantum Cascade Laser Array with Continuous-Wave Output Power Exceeding 100W Proposal No.: N142-093-0521 Firm: Pranalytica, Inc. 1101 Colorado Avenue Santa Monica, California 90401 Contact: Arkadiy Lyakh Phone: (310) 260-2361 Web Site: www.pranalytica.com Abstract: Development of a 100W QCL platform based on 2-D QCL bar array is proposed. QCL bar geometry will be optimized for the highest wall plug efficiency under full operating conditions. Each element in the array will deliver optical power of 3W to 4W in high quality beam with beam quality parameter M2 ≤ 1.5. The QCL platform will be designed so that each element in the array could be individually controlled. The platform output optical power will be scalable up to 1kW. Waste heat generated by the QCL bars will be removed by a two phase cooling system. Compared with traditional single-phase microchannel coolers, the two-phase cooling takes advantage of the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant, which enables the evaporator to handle higher fluxes with significantly lower mass flowrates, i.e., less pumping power resulting in a more compact system. The cooling system will be insensitive to orientation and will be designed to operate under several g's of shock/acceleration. Unprecedented combination of the high optical power and small size of the entire platform will pave the way to a new generation DIRCM systems to counter emerging new generation of MANPADS and other DoD applications. Benefits: Full implementation of this proposal, including Phase II, will result in commercial availability of a compact and ruggedized MWIR Quantum Cascade Laser platform delivering up to 1kW of optical power to counter IR-guided anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles. Availability of such a platform will be of great interest to all commercial companies developing infrared countermeasures systems, most of which are current Pranalytica's customers. The platform is expected to become the integral part in the next generation of infrared countermeasures system. In addition to the IRCM applications, availability of the very high power MWIR platforms will lead to their immediate applications as target illuminators and beacons and as remote sensors of chemical warfare agents, explosives, and toxic industrial chemicals. Return