Compact, Low Power, and High Speed MEMS Mirror Based Laser Q-Switch

Q-switched lasers have the ability to create short, high energy laser pulses and therefore have many medical, industrial and military applications. Ultra compact laser designators (ULD) and laser range finders (LRF) are typical military applications requiring portable pulsed laser sources, where pulses are generated by Q-switched Nd:YAG or Erbium-glass lasers. Their active, electro-optic Q-switches require costly crystals, polarizers, and bulky high voltage (~3kV) pulse generators. Saturable absorber-based passive Q-switches are inexpensive and simple, but introduce significant optical losses resulting in low laser efficiency. This project aims to develop a high efficiency and low cost MEMS mirror Q-switch which will increase laser performance, reduce complexity and size, reduce power consumption, and reduce cost over existing technology. Mirrorcle Technologies single- and dual-axis scanning mirrors are ideally suited for this purpose. They are fast, highly compact, and require negligible power consumption. Mirrors are scalable from<1mm to several millimeters for different laser designs and wavelengths, and can be separately coated with high-reflectivity coatings before assembly with actuators. Gimbal-less dual-axis approach enables fast switching and"alignment in the field"capability and compensation for thermal and mechanical alignment drifts. Mirror performance can be tuned to specific laser requirements. Driver circuits fit on a credit-card sized PCB.