Power scaling of blue lasers with high peak-power and repetition rate for detection of underwater objects

High peak-power pulsed-mode blue laser systems are important for naval detection of underwater objects because of their good penetration of seawater. The US Navy?s basic performance objectives for this application are the efficient generation of >15 mJ, The laser driven frequency-doubling and -tripling generation paths currently employed do not support the performance, size and weight objectives needed because they are inherently overly complex. The simplest possible approach is the generation of Q-switched laser pulses with a directly pumped laser medium operating in the desired spectral region. In this SBIR program we propose to study the feasibility an innovative diode-laser-pumped solid-state laser whose primary operating wavelength meets the US Navy?s requirements.