High Temporal and Spatial Resolution Laser Beam Diagnostic Sensor

Kestrel Corporation, with our Phase I collaborator Boeing-SVS, investigated an application of optical remote sensing to measure the spatially distributed, time varying spectral signature characteristics of a high energy laser against a distant target.This highly successful effort clearly demonstrated that the technology has the potential for satisfying the requirements of high resolution beam diagnostics while simultaneously offering beam target interaction data and an ability to monitor ABL trackinglaser locations on the target. In our Phase I SBIR, we modeled the engagement, defined the requirements for the sensor, and used an existing imager to demonstrate under laboratory conditions the key technical issues. We clearly showed that the proposedsensor could be used to observe the HEL beam size, energy distribution, location on the target, and target spectral response with several centimeter scale spatial distribution and at rates in excess of 30 full samples per second from standoff distances ofseveral tens of kilometers.