High Power, Single Mode, Diode Emitter for Directed Energy Applications

MDA is interested in developing single mode high power diode lasers with excellent beam quality and high efficiency and coherently combine them for high power output and use the coherently combined modules to build high power direct diode laser (HPDDL) systems capable of achieving upwards of 10-100 kW (dependent on the beam combining technique) of high output power while maintaining the beam quality to a near diffraction limited spot size (M2< 1.2) in a low size, weight, and power (SWaP) configuration. We propose an approach for single mode VCSELs and for coherently combining them for very high power with the eventual goal of application in the HPDDL systems. Diode laser based high power systems will be small, high efficiency (close to 70%) and much lower cost compared to current fiber laser based approaches. Princeton Innotech offers an approach for high power single mode diode lasers and coherently coupling them for multi-kW single modules. We have successfully demonstrated a coupling approach through simulation and experiments which we will use in phase II to demonstrate a coherently coupled high power VCSEL array. We plan to further develop the high power coherently coupled modules and commercialize them in phase III. Approved for Public Release | 22-MDA-11102 (22 Mar 22)