High Repetition Rate Cavity-Dumped Unified Laser Expandable System

To address the U.S. Army need for a high peak power directed energy weapon (DEW) system with adjustable PRF and variable burst mode, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new High Repetition Rate Cavity-Dumped Unified Laser Expandable System (HERCULES), a high peak power DEW with significant advantages over current systems. This proposed system is based on variable-rate cavity-dumping by new nonlinear materials that exceed the capabilities of current systems. The HERCULES will generate high peak power pulses with a PRF variable from 200 kHz while keeping the energy per pulse approximately the same regardless of time between pulses, pulses per burst, or burst rate. In Phase I POC will demonstrate the feasibility of HERCULES by computer modeling and a subscale demonstration prototype. In Phase II POC plans to develop a prototype that can be adapted to current Army man-portable laser systems, and will demonstrate variable PRF up to ~100 kHz without significant drop in energy per pulse.