STTR Phase I: Advanced Sodium Beacon Laser

This Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR)Phase I project will design an all-fiber optic 589nm guidestar laser. The use of guidestar lasers in conjunction with adaptive optics can provide for near diffraction-limited performance of large aperture telescopes. A compact and efficient fiber laser based device that emits a nearly diffraction limited, 10W beam at 589nm for sodium guide star applications will be demonstrated. This laser can be mounted directly behind the secondary of any major telescope eliminating issues with complex coupling optics and attendant stability requirements. Telescope resolution is limited by atmospheric distortion to that of a 23 cm telescope 1. Using adaptive optics schemes, atmospheric distortions can be removed allowing for up to a 4 m diffraction limited telescope. The key component to this system is the guide star laser. The next generation 589 nm Sodium laser proposed in Phase I would have significant applications to the astronomy community. Currently, argon-ion pumped dye lasers or sum frequency generation lasers are used. The 589 nm laser presented in this proposal is a cost-effective, turnkey solution that has a long lifetime. There are approximately 10 observatories throughout the world that could benefit from the proposed device. For optimal compensation five 10 W laser systems are required. A secondary market is for the laser trapping and cooling of sodium for atomic clocks.