High Performance Compact Medium-Power Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) Laser System for Shipboard Deployment

In this proposal, a broadband laser system is explored which has the potential to deliver high power over most of the long wavelength infrared (LWIR) spectral range. The system is composed of multiple quantum cascade laser modules which are spectrally combined into a single output beam. In order to simplify system construction, the system is designed to operate with a small number of active elements engineered for high atmospheric transmission. This is made possible by the use of already demonstrated high efficiency quantum cascade wafer designs and a new, on-chip phase-locking architecture to significantly scale the output power per module. The proposed effort will both experimentally demonstrate a proof-of-concept laser module and explore initial system design for broadband spectral coverage