Frequency Agile High Average Power COIL

Nonlinear optical frequency converters for lasers are impacting a variety of systems including weapons fire control, active beacon adaptive optics, target designation, range finding, and active multispectral imaging ladar. Most next-generation systems require frequency agile transmitters with improved power scaling. For example, there are currently few high average power (1 to 20 kW) frequency converters suitable for industry, remote sensing or military applications. Traditional frequency converters, such as Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs), require costly, fragile crystals which typically cannot be grown in sufficient size or quality to operate at high average power. On the other hand, Solid State Raman Scattering (SSRS) offers unexploited advantages for higher power operation, including: (1) no birefringent phase matching to limit power scaling, (2) lower cost, larger, higher optical quality crystals with superior thermal and mechanical properties, and (3) the ability to produce phase conjugation and other forms of beam cleanup. Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) is developing innovative SSRS frequency converters with new crystals. Coupling the new technologies with CTI's expertise in turnkey field and flight-worthy electro-optics systems will facilitate new dual-use products. Phase I will analyze SSRS power-scaling for use with the 10 kW Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser and design risk reduction measurements to establish technical feasibility for Phase II hardware deliverables.