High Speed Acousto-Optic Tuner for CO2 Laser Wavelength Control

50650-98-I High Speed Acousto-Optic Tuner for CO2 Laser Wavelength Control--Physical Optics Corporation, 20600 Gramercy Place, Suite 103, Torrance, CA 90501-1821; (310) 530-1416 Dr. Paul Shnitser, Principal Investigator Ms. Patty Shaw, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82638 Amount: $74,994 To protect our nation at home and abroad through the Nonproliferation and National Security (NN) program, the DOE needs systems that can detect the production and presence of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons of mass destruction, including effluents of concern to nonproliferation. High repetition rate carbon dioxide laser-based DIAL lidar can be used for remote chemical analysis of these effluents. However, these lasers require high-speed acousto-optic (AO) tuners to access different laser lines rapidly and randomly. This project will design, fabricate, and demonstrate an innovative tuner that will provide low light losses and a high tuning rate. This single crystal tuner features high light diffraction efficiency of over 95%, low light absorption due to short crystal length, and low Fresnel losses. The thermal lens effect will be reduced significantly by a proprietary device assembly technology that provides improved heat control. Phase I will develop an AO tuner and test its parameters, including overall light losses, tuning range, and beam quality. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The AO wavelength tuner for CO2 lasers can be used widely in laser radars for remote chemical sensing, atmospheric research, and environmental monitoring._