Speckle enhanced high energy laser irradiance imaging system

Optical Physics Company (OPC) is currently developing a remote HEL Irradiance Imaging Sensor (I2S) under a U.S. Army sponsored Directed Energy Test and Evaluation Capability (DETEC) contract. The proposed SBIR project presents a cost effective pathway to enhance the I2S bandwidth using dynamic laser speckle imaging. The end result is absolute HEL irradiance image of the target with 1 cm resolution at 5 km range at 5 KHz with the added the capability to track the jitter and drift of the HEL on the target to about 5 mm accuracy. The main advantages of this remote imaging system are its non-intrusiveness, operational flexibility, survivability, cost effectiveness, and 24 hour operation capability. Phase I investigation will verify the speckle imaging enhancement to I2S in the lab at TRL 4 scaled to a 5 km ground-to-air HEL engagement. The lab results will be incorporated with an analytic performance model and anchored to wave optic simulation. Phase I work will conclude with a design of the TRL 5 atmospheric demonstration planned for Phase II. BENEFIT: The proposed HEL irradiance mapping technology serves immediate needs in several HEL testing programs as evidenced by the 2004 DETEC Tri-Service Study which identified ground and airborne target irradiance measurements as one of its five HEL shortfalls. OPC is already a participant in DETEC’s risk reduction effort for the Airborne Target Irradiance and Imagery Measurement (ATIM) Test-bed. If this project is successful, by the end of 2012, AFRL will have a fully functional irradiance sensor system at White Sands meeting all of the requirements specified in the solicitation.