High Power 2.1 Micron Fiber Laser

High energy laser can provide a tremendous benefit to the army for area protection against rockets, artillery, and mortars (RAM). There is concern about high energy laser systems potentially causing collateral eye damage due to scattering off of target surfaces. We propose to develop innovative high efficient high power 2.1 micron fiber laser that is scalable to power levels of greater than 10kW. This new fiber laser is retina safe which significantly reduces the possibility of permanent eye damage due to laser scattering, and exhibits good atmospheric transmission which is necessary to use laser to provide protection against rockets, artillery, mortars (RAM), and other potential threats. Our Phase I results indicate that what we propose in this proposal is realistic and achievable.In Phase II, we will further optimize new glass composition to host high rare-earth doping concentration to generate extremely efficient fiber laser, characterize the spectroscopic properties to optimize the doping concentrations, design and fabricate large core double cladding single mode fibers with various configurations, and demonstrate efficient fiber laser. Slope efficiency of 65% is expected. Successful development of such innovative highly efficient high power fiber laser with output power of 10 kilowatts level would revolutionize the fiber laser development and enable many new applications.