SOLID STATE LASER SCANNER FOR LASER ORDNANCE INITIATOR

THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SOLID STATE LASER SCANNER FOR ROUTING A HIGH ENERGY LASER BEAM AMONG THE FIBER OPTIC ENERGY TRANSFER PATHS OF A LASER ORDNANCE INITIATION SYSTEM. A SOLID STATE LASER SCANNER WITH NO MOVING PARTS WILL ENABLE A MORE COMPACT AND DURABLE LASER ORDNANCE INITIATION SYSTEM. APA OPTICS' SOLID STATE LASER SCANNER UTILIZES INTERGRATED OPTIC WAVEGUIDES OF ALGAAS AND ELECTRO-OPTICALLY ACTIVATED BRAGG TRANSMISSION GRATINGS. THE PHAE I PROGRAM WILL ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO SCALING THE CURRENT 0.83 MICRON WAVELENGTH DESIGN AND FABRICATION TECHNOLOGY TO THAT APPROPRAITE FOR 1.06 MICRONS WAVELENGTH. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVES WILL BE TO DEMONSTRATE LOW LOSS, ELECTRO-OPTIC ACTIVE WAVEGUIDES FOR 1.06 MICRONS; AND TO DEMONSTRATE LASER DAMAGE RESISTANT WAVEGUIDES AT THE LASER POWER LEVELS REQUIRED FOR LASER ORDNANCE INITIATIORS. IN PHASE II, A SOLID STATE LASER SCANNED MODULE WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EVALUATION IN A LASER ORDNANCE INITIATOR TEST SETUP.