Microlaser Illumination for Helmet Mounted Displays

Helmet and Head Mounted Displays (HMD) offer pilots a significant advantage in warfighting capability. Howver, displays to date have been limited in brightness, resolution, and chromaticity. Recent developments with AMLCD technology, based upon subtractive color promise high brightness, high resolution, and full color HMD's, suitable for operational environments. Laser Power Corporation has identified red, green and blue microlasers as ideal illumination sources for the HMD. Microlasers offer several advantages over are lamps as the illumination source, related to9 the spectral purity of the laser light and the near diffraction limited beam which makes the lasers will suited for use as a light source with LCD's. Therefore, LPC is proposing the development of red and green lasers coupled with the fiber optic delivery bundle. During Phase I, LPC will develop the laser configuration and demonstrate key technologies. This will lead to a design for an integrated laser illumination system which will be delivered as part of the Phase II program. This package will then be ready for full-scale engineering and MIL qualification, leading to production of a rugged microlaser system.