Eyesafer Fiber Laser Technology for Shipboard Defense

Q-Peak has recently developed “eyesafer” high-power, efficient, thulium (Tm)-doped, 2050-nm-wavelength silica fiber (Tm:fiber) lasers that have the potential to scale up to the power levels needed for shipboard defense. The longer wavelength cannot pass through to the retina and hence presents a greatly reduced eye hazard. Requirements for laser beam quality depend on the nature of the threat, but the most challenging threats demand near-diffraction-limited beams. In the work proposed here, we will investigate the fundamental limits to power, with diffraction-limited beam quality, from a single Tm:fiber laser. This will determine the system design architecture for high-power directed-energy systems, particularly how many individual fiber lasers are needed for coherent beam-combined systems.