Modeling of High-Average-Power Solid State Lasers

The creation of a comprehensive laser design tool, usable by a broad customer base is long overdue. At present lasers are used as elements of numerous applications. With a large array of goals and design constraints competing for attention, an engineer needs help executing a specific laser design. A good software tool can help organize the design and mitigate costly reiteration and redesign resulting from errors and inefficient work flow. This effort will focus on developing a software design tool from a baseline design executed in Phase I. BENEFIT: As defense systems become increasingly complex the Air Force will find itself in the position of having to design and evaluate more complicated and exotic laser systems. The tool built in this effort will assist with designing, comparing or reverse engineering lasers. Commercially, there is an opportunity for a company to provide the tools to engineers with the know-how or the desire to acquire the know-how to design the exotic custom lasers that are needed in specialty applications. In addition such a software tool could help spur a cottage industry of laser designers in the same way tools like Code V, Zemax and OSLO support an industry of lens designers.