A Miniaturized High Power Solid-State Laser System Using a Novel Laser Crystal

Solid-state lasers present the most promising approach to achieve high power laser beams with high efficiency, high reliability, and great beam quality, which would be critical for many defense applications including airborne and space borne ladars,lidasr, and weapon guidance systems. In this Phase I program, Crystal Research, Inc. (CRI) proposes a miniaturized high power all-solid-state laser that uses a novel laser crystal and efficient laser resonator. This laser crystal has shown a very largestimulated emission cross section and also a very strong and broad absorption band around 880nm to facilitate direct pumping, which is not effective in conventional laser crystals Nd:YAG and Nd:YVO4. Unlike high-gain laser crystal Nd:YVO4, the thermalconductivity of our novel crystal is about 3 times as high and comparable to that of Nd:YAG. The proposed laser would present a breakthrough in practical airborne laser applications for its high efficiency, high reliability, low thermal managementrequirement and compactness. The proposed laser output power can be scaled to 200W without using any water-cooling system. We will deliver a working prototype laser to the funding agency by the end of Phase I for proof of concept demonstration. Lasers are used for a wide variety of applications from basic scientific research to industrial processes. Miniaturized, high efficiency, high power solid state lasers have direct applicability to MDA laser programs.