Miniature Ultraviolet (UV) Laser Source below 280 nanometers (nm) Navy SBIR FY2011.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2011.1 Topic No.: N111-029 Topic Title: Miniature Ultraviolet (UV) Laser Source below 280 nanometers (nm) Proposal No.: N111-029-0979 Firm: NP Photonics, Inc. UA Science and Technology Park 9030 S. Rita Road, Suite #120 Tucson, Arizona 85747-9108 Contact: Wei Shi Phone: (520) 799-7413 Web Site: www.npphotonics.com Abstract: NP Photonics proposes to develop a miniature UV pulsed laser source operating below 280 nm for NAVY's applications to counter hostile fire identification (HFI) and degraded visual environments (DVE) by providing superior LIDAR and 3D imaging. The UV laser source is based on a novel IR fiber laser based approach coupled to a harmonic frequency converter. This approach offers transform-limited linewidth, single spatial mode, linearly polarized output, and high optical power with high pulse energy. Superior performance is made possible because of NP's all fiber-based single-frequency, Q-switched pulsed laser seed and large core highly Yb-doped phosphate fiber amplifiers. A monolithic MOPA-based fiber laser has the advantages of being compact, rugged, reliable, low-cost, and light-weight. The operating wavelength of the IR fiber laser engine is 1030-1080 nm, which then is frequency quadrupled using commercial PPKTP and CLBO crystals in order to deliver light below 280 nm. Using this approach, we propose to demonstrate peak/average power ~100 kW/1-3 W and pulse energy ~ 1 mJ for 2-5 ns pulses with repetition rate of 1-10 kHz; the UV light output will have diffraction-limited beam quality with high frequency and pulse stability, and transform-limited linewidth. Benefits: The proposed compact fiber-based UV pulsed laser source has advantages of transform-limited linewidth, single-mode (SM) spatial output with high degree of linear polarization, and high power and high pulse energy. UV pulsed lasers have much better LIDAR performance than IR pulsed lasers in rainy, dust, smog and brownout conditions by using fluorescence of airborne particles. Therefore, the proposed UV pulsed laser source can be directly used for NAVY's applications to counter HFI and degraded DVE by providing superior LIDAR and 3D imaging through smoke, dust and smog while also supporting helicopter survivability during brownout conditions. Additionally, the laser source is ideally suited for wind detection and diagnostics in wind farms for energy production from turbines. It enables continuous wind speed, temperature, and air density reporting from turbine-mounted or ground-based platforms. Return