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Supercontinuum Laser for Multi-Spectral Energy Propagation
Navy SBIR 2009.2 - Topic N092-119 NAVAIR - Mrs. Janet McGovern - navair.sbir@navy.mil Opens: May 18, 2009 - Closes: June 17, 2009 N092-119 TITLE: Supercontinuum Laser for Multi-Spectral Energy Propagation TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Sensors, Electronics, Battlespace ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-272 Aircraft Suvivability Equipment (ASE) OBJECTIVE: Develop a supercontinuum laser with the capability to propagate a multi-spectral laser beam with 10 Watts of time-averaged power. DESCRIPTION: Current anti-missile technology includes the use of heat producing Infrared (IR) flares and the use of lasers that direct a beam of IR light into the IR seeking eye of incoming missile threats. First and second generation IR seeking missiles have a very specific IR band that they seek. Next generation and generation next IR seeking missiles will have the ability to seek in multiple IR bands. Improvements in laser technology are necessary to counter fourth and fifth generation anti-aircraft missiles, saving lives and aircraft from this highly effective and deployed weaponry. Current and future weapons have the ability to seek within a spectral IR band that will require advanced laser capabilities, such as the ability to lase across the IR spectrums. Improved lasers which engage from near-visible to mid-IR bands with directed energy are sought. If this could successfully be achieved, the proposed laser technology would effectively blind the IR seekers on anti-aircraft missiles. Thus, it is imperative to develop laser technologies that stay ahead of the threat. A laser that can transmit energy in all IR seeker bands is essential, effectively denying the threat's ability to exploit the IR spectrum for its purposes. The ability to provide laser energy across a continuous spectrum from the near-visible to the mid-IR at sufficient power levels will require investigation and discussion of properties of laser propagation and gain materials PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a supercontinuum laser with ability to propagate a laser beam in a multi-spectral bandwidth from near-visible to mid-IR with an average power of 10 Watts. Also, provide insight if increased power or increased bandwidth is also obtainable and at what cost. PHASE II: Develop and demonstrate a breadboard of a supercontinuum laser that increases mid- IR bandwidth and has a 5 Watt average output. PHASE III: Fully develop a supercontinuum laser that increases mid-IR bandwidth and has a 10 Watt average output. Transition the technology for Naval Aviation use. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: The communication industry will be the main benefactor of this technology as this will increase the bandwidth of fiber optic communications. Just as in electronic systems that require bandwidth to move greater and greater amounts of data, photons are moved along in fiber optic systems. Thus, increasing the spectral bandwidth of a laser allows for far greater amounts of data to travel via photons in fiber optic networks. In other words, multi-spectral supercontinuum lasers and their ability to greatly expand the photonic bandwidths and increased data rates will be vital to all fiber optic networks that serve communications, defense, computers, space, and the like as more and more data networks turn to fiber optics for the increased data rates they allow. REFERENCES: 2. Kumar, M, Xia, C, Ma, X, Alexander, V. V., Islam, M.N., Terry, F.L. Jr, et al. (2008) "Power Adjustable Visible Supercontinuum Generation Using Amplified Nanosecond Gain-Switched Laser Diode", 28 April 2008,, Vol. 16, No.9, OPTICS EXPRESS 6194 KEYWORDS: Supercontinuum; Laser; Multi-spectral; Infrared; Non-linear; White-light
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