DEVELOPMENT OF COMPACT HARDENED DYE LASER

CURRENT HIGH-POWERED DYE LASERS, PRESENTLY AVAILABLE, REQUIRE LARGE, HEAVY AND CUMBERSOME POWER SUPPLIES. WHILE THESE LASERS MAY BE APPROPRIATE IN A RESEARCH SETTING, THEY DO NOT LEND THEMSELVES READILY TO A MOBILE ENVIRNOMENT IN WHICH A RUGGED, COMPACT, TUNABLE LASER OPERATING IN THE VISIBLE SPECTRAL REGION IS REQUIRED. UNDER RECENTLY COMPLETED SBIR CONTRACTS, SCHWARTZ ELECTRO-OPTICS, INC. (SEO) HAS DEVELOPED A NOVEL, SELF-CONTAINED, CHEMICALLY-PUMPED SOLID STATE LASER. THE CHEMICAL REACTION PROVIDES THE NECESSARY OPTICAL PUMPING OF THE SOLID STATE LASER MATERIAL, THEREBY ELIMINATING THE REQUIREMENT OF HIGH VOLTAGE POWER SUPPLIES AND COOLING SYSTEMS. SEO PROPOSES IN THE PHASE I PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE AND EXPAND UPON THE USE OF CHEMICALLY PUMPING TECHNIQUES WITH SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH ENERGY, VISIBLE DYE LASER. A CHEMICAL PUMPED DYE LASER OF APPROXIMATE VOLUME OF 1 CUBIC FT., PROVIDING OUTPUT ENERGY 30-300 J/PULSE WILL BE DESIGNED, FABRICATED AND TESTED DURING THIS PHASE I STUDY. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPACT, CHEMICALLY-PUMPED DYE LASER OFFERS A LIGHT WEIGHT, COMPACT TUNABLE LASER SOURCE. ELIMINATED WILL BE THE NEED FOR LARGE, HEAVY AND COSTLY POWER SUPPLIES WHICH ARE PRESENTLY REQUIRED. A CHEMICAL PUMPED DYE LASER OF APPROXIMATE VOLUME OF 1 CUBIC FT., PROVIDING OUTPUT ENERGY 30-300J/PULSE WILL BE DESIGNED, FABRICATED AND TESTED DURING THIS PHASE I STUDY.