Development of Ultra-Fast, Low grating lobe Optical Beam Scanners for Laser Radar (LADAR) Seeker

The objective of this Phase II effort is to develop an innovative, low cost, ultra-fast scanning speed laser radar (LADAR) seeker by effectively integrating an unconventional optical phased array, a unique optical pre-amplifier, and an all-optic pulse repetition rate enhancer. This will enable the realization of unprecedented LADAR seeker capabilities, including (1) ultrafast scanning speed, (2) low grating lobes, (3) high spatial resolution, (4) high performance, (5) small footprint, and (6) low cost. During the Phase I stage, we have experimentally demonstrated that the proposed core technologies are feasible, providing a solid foundation for us to develop a ready-to-use ultra-fast high performance LADAR seeker prototype during Phase II. Specifically, (1) the fast scanning speed (up to ns), low grating lobe, low loss beam scanning can be realized by using our unconventional optical phased array technology; (2) the weak returning LADAR signal can be optically pre-amplified, which significantly reduces the complexity of the LADAR receiver and the lasing power requirement of the LADAR transceiver; and (3) the repetition rate of the laser source can be passively increased by using an all-optic repetition rate enhancer, which will allow the LADAR seeker to be used in high speed applications.