BLUE-GREEN ER:TM LASER

THE PROGRAM PROPOSED HERE ADDRESSES DEVELOPMENT OF EFFICIENT, BLUE-GREEN SOLID STATE LASERS. THESE LASERS, BASED UPON ER:TM:YSAG WITH EMISSION TAILORED AT 455/459 NM, ARE IMPORTANT FOR SUBMARINE LASER COMMUNICATIONS (SLC) AND TACTICAL AIRBORNE LASER COMMUNICATIONS (TALC) SYSTEMS SINCE THE EMISSION IS LOCATED IN A SEAWATER TRANSMISSION WINDOW HAVING LOW ATTENUATION. ALSO,THE 455/459 NM EMISSION IS COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING CESIUM ATOMIC RESONANCE FILTER RECEIVERS. THE ER:TM:YSAG LASER PROPOSED HERE WILL BE PUMPED BY A 355 NM, FREQUENCY TRIPLED, ND:YAG LASER. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM REPRESENTS THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPING HIGHLY EFFICIENT BLUE-GREEN SOLID STATE LASERS FOR SLC/TALC COMPACT, RUGGED, LONG LIFE, EYESAFE, SOLID STATE LASERS. THE FOUR LEVEL NATURE OF THE 1D2-3F4 TM TRANSITION, COMPATIBILITY WITH EXISTING CS ARF-S, AND ABILITY TO BE PUMPED BY FREQUENCY TRIPLED ND:YAG LASERSMAKES THE ER:TM:YSAG LASER A VIABLE CANDIDATE FOR SLC AND TALC ROLES. THE PHASE I PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT FOR PROVIDING A FEASIBILITY DEMONSTRATION OF A BLUE GREE ER:TM:YSAG LASER. A PHASE II PROGRAM WILL CHARACTERIZE HIGH-POWER, ER:TM:YSAG LASER PERFORMANCE WITH SPARTA-S EXISTING CS ARF RECEIVERS.