Solid-State Green Laser

Green laser sources are important in advanced naval mine detection as this wavelength has good penetration though seawater. Mine detection programs such as the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) system and the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) currently use frequency-doubled 1-µm lasers as the laser source. The generation of green laser light via frequency doubling of a 1-µm laser has typical conversion efficiencies that are ~50% for the process. For unmanned vehicles or manned platforms with limited space and power, the loss in efficiency due to frequency doubling impacts size, weight, and power. It is highly desirable to develop a solid-state laser whose primary wavelength is in the green and does not require frequency doubling. Laser sources for naval mine detection require 1 - 5 ns pulses, pulse energies of greater than 100 mJ, and average powers of ~ 50W. In this STTR program, we propose to study the feasibility of constructing a diode-pumped solid-state laser source that meets these requirements.