Quantum Cascade Lasers for Multi-Band Daytime Markers

The prevalence of precision guided munitions has increased dramatically in the previous decades, with estimates showing nearly 90% of munitions will be precision guided by 2020. Of these munitions over 90% are expected to be laser guided. There still exists a challenge in reliably laser designating a target in full daylight conditions. Expanding the current laser designator abilities to these mid-wave infrared (MWIR) wavelengths could dramatically improve the utility of laser designators under daylight conditions. Forward Photonics is a market leader and is innovating in the area of quantum cascade laser (QCL) laser modules for MWIR and long-wave infrared (LWIR) applications. Forward Photonics has produced the highest power, nearly diffraction limited QCL lasers with over 25 W of continuous wave (CW) power in the MWIR . Forward Photonics currently has three QCL laser development thrusts. First, the high powered QCL laser module, currently 25 W which in the near future will be expanded to 50 W under a SBIR program with collaboration from NAVSEA PMA-272. These laser modules have a single polarization and thus can be combined easily to double the power, for a total of 100 W MWIR power. We propose to apply this QCL technology to daytime markers.