LASER COUNTERMEASURE HOLOGRAPHIC RUGATE FILTERS FOR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES OF SHORT WAVELENGTH LASERS SUCH AS UTLRAVIOLET (UV) EXCIMER AND X-RAY LASERS HAVE CREATED AN URGENT NEED FOR NEW TECHNIQUES THAT ARE EFFECTIVE IN STRATEGIC SYSTEM HARDENING AGAINST ATTACK RADIATIONS IN UV AND XUV REGIONS. ALTHOUGH FOR THE VISIBLE AND NEAR-INFRARED REGION THERE EXIST NUMEROUS APPROACHES FOR LASER COUNTERMEASURE INCLUDING HOLOGRAPHIC FILTERS, THEIR APPLICATION IN THE UV REGION IS HAMPERED BY SEVERE LIMITATION DUE TO HIGHER MATERIAL ABSORPTION, LOWER LASER DAMAGE THRESHOLD AND ENVIRONMENTAL INSTABILITY. RECENT HOLOGRAPHIC MATERIAL AND RECORDING TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGHS ARE BEING APPLIED FOR FABRICATING HIGH OPTICAL DENSITY UV HOLOGRAPHIC FILTERS FOR LASER COUNTERMEASURE APPLICATIONS. TWO DIFFERENT METHODS OF OBTAINING HIGH EFFICIENCY UV HOLOGRAMS ARE BEING INVESTIGATED. ULTRAVIOLET HOLOGRAPHIC FILTERS FABRICATED ON RECENTLY DEVELOPED MATERIALS ARE BEING PRODUCED WHICH COULD HAVE THE DESIRED BANDWIDTH AND OPTICAL DENSITY TO ENHANCE THE SURVIVAL OF SYSTEMS AND SENSORS AGAINST UV LASER THREATS. AS THE TECHNOLOGY IS SCALABLE TO DIFFERENT SIZES, IT COULD FIND APPLICATIONS RANGING FROM ENHANCING THESURVIVABILITY OF THE SENSORS TO ACTING AS HIGH EFFICIENCY HOLOGRAPHIC OPTICAL ELEMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL OPTICS.