OPTICAL DESIGN FOR ENHANCING LASER EYE PROTECTION

CONVENTIONAL OPTICAL SIGHTS ARE NOT PRESENTLY DESIGNED WITH INTERNAL IMAGE QUALITY OR ENERGY DENSITY AT THE INTERNAL IMAGE AS PRIMARY CONSTRAINTS. USUALLY, IF THE SYSTEM PRESENTS A SUFFICIENT IMAGE TO THE USERS EYE, THEN THE SIGHT IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE. WITH THE USE OF LASERS AS A COUNTERMEASURE IN A COMBAT ENVIRONMENT, THE PROBLEM OF LASER EYE DAMAGE BECOMES A CRUCIAL ISSUE. APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THIS RISK FOR THE USERS OF OPTICAL SIGHTS. BY USING NONLINEAR OPTICAL METHODS SUCH AS SACRIFICIAL MIRRORS AND PLASMA FORMATION, INCOMING LASER RADIATION CAN BE BLOCKED FROM THE USER'S EYES. THESE TECHNIQUES REQUIRE A CERTAIN ENERGY DENSITY AT THE INTERNAL IMAGE IN ORDER FOR THE OPTICAL LIMITERS TO ACTIVATE. IN THIS SBIR WE WILL DESIGN AND ENGINEER AN IMPROVED SIGHT WITH A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH ENERGY DENSITY AT THE INTERNAL FOCUS IN ADDITION TO THE OVERALL IMAGING PERFORMANCE AT A LEVEL COMMENSURATED WITH PRESENT SYSTEMS.