Compact Eyesafe Laser for High Resolution Range Imaging

The Air Force and other branches of the Armed Forces require laser transmitters for future laser rangefinders (LRF) that are capable of target ranging and improved spatial resolution for target identification. To meet the requirements of these futureLRF's, Aculight Corporation proposes to develop a short pulse (<1 ns), eyesafe, high power, and high repetition rate laser source based on high power pumping of large-core erbium doped fiber amplifiers. This new approach uses a novel high brightness diodepump source to directly pump the fiber core permitting the use of shorter fibers, which increases the threshold of nonlinear effects resulting in efficient extraction of high pulse energy and high peak power pulses. Furthermore, this approach utilizes thebest properties of diodes and fibers: high efficiency, compactness, reliabliabily, and reduced thermal issues, as well as providing direct eyesafe output. This concept, coupled with Aculight's novel packaging techniques, will result in a very efficient,compact, and robust laser source for future LRF.This work will develop a novel high power, high brightness semiconductor diode laser source that has commercial applications in the areas of pumps sources for fiber lasers and amplifiers and in industrial processing applications.