Eyesafer Fiber Laser Technology for Shipboard Defense

This proposal is for the development of a new all fiber single mode Tm3+-doped two micron fiber laser with output power of 5 Kilowatts. This new fiber laser is retina safe, reducing the possibility of eye damage to the operators due to scattering and reflections. The laser wavelength is located in one of atmospheric transmission windows as well. This type of fiber laser can be used in the Navy’s directed energy system for active defense. The lasers can provide an effective “Sea shield” against adversary ballistic or cruise missile attacks, and enable safer operation in the littoral environment. Research will be conducted to study the ultimate limit of continuous wave power for single-fiber, diffraction-limited eyesafe sources. Large core fibers with high order mode suppression will be designed and fabricated for both laser and amplifier fibers. Glass with optimized Tm2O3 doping concentration will be chosen to generate highly efficient laser output. A Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) system will be designed to generate 5 KW two micron laser with wavelength control. Spectrum combining can be used for further power scaling up to 10s of KW level.