INFRARED WAVELENGHT BEAM COMBINING TECHNIQUES FOR MILTI-COLOR PROJECTOR APPLICATIONS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH EFFORT IS TO DEVELOPE AND DEMONSTRATE AN INFRARED WAVELENGTH BEAM COMBINING TECHNIQUE OF MULTIPLE INFRARED PROJECTORS SIGNALS WHETHER MULTISPECTRAL OR NOT. THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE ALLOWS LOW LOSS COMBINING OF THESE SIGNALS IN CONTRAST TO THE CONVENTIONAL METHODS THAT EXIBIT HIGH LOSS. PHASE I EFFORTS INCLUDE THE DETERMINATION OF THE IR BEAM COMBINER PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION, ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATE FABRICATION TECHNIQUES, FABRICATION OF A DEMONSTRATION COMBINER, DESIGN OF AN (OPTIONAL) ALL REFLECTIVE COLLIMATING TELESCOPE FOR USE WITH THE COMBINER, AND LABORATORY DEMONSTRATION OF THE BEAM COMBINER. PHASE II EFFORTS INCLUDE FABRICATION AND DEMONSTRATION OF A FULL-SCALE BEAM COMBINER WITH PROJECTORS SUITABLE FOR HWIL SIMULATIONS OF MULTI-COLOR IR MISSILE SYSTEMS.