Tunable diode-pumped IR laser source

The Space-Based Laser (SBL) requires a Low Energy Laser (LEL) system to serve as a high fidelity surrogate during startup and optical alignment portions of test operations. In this proposal, we will develop a CW, diode-pumped solid state laser that canmeet the requirements for the LEL, namely a CW power level in the 1-10 W range, and wavelengths in the 2600-2900-nm region. The device, based on a direct diode-pumped Er:YLF crystal, is rugged, compact, tunable, and well suited for space-based systems.The general approach will be to develop the simplest possible design with a low component count, providing extreme compactness and ruggedness. In a Phase II program the diode-pumped Er:YLF laser first operated in the Phase I effort would be furtherengineered into a prototype unit suitable for field tests. The proposed laser technology has immediate applications in laser medicine, for precision surgery. Other possible applications are in low-level detection of gases for process control and in precision cutting and drilling of selected materials.