Hollow-Core-Fiber Raman Gas Laser for Mid-IR Applications

We propose to develop and demonstrate mid-infrared hollow-core fiber lasers for applications such as LADAR seekers, target illuminators, designators, target trackers, infrared counter measures, and standoff chemical/biological agent detection. We propose to use vibrational Raman gas laser to generate 3-5um radiation pumped by ytterbium, erbium, or thulium fiber lasers. The gas medium might be hydrogen, deuterium, nitrogen or oxygen with respective vibrational Raman shifts of 4155, 2987, 2331, 1555 cm-1. In Phase I we will study designs of hollow-core-fiber Raman gas laser operating in the mid-infrared. A final conceptual design will be selected after analyzing: (1) the hollow-core fiber designs and performance, (2) the efficiency, weight, and power requirements for the fiber laser pump sources, (3) the threshold, slope efficiency and line shapes of the Raman gas laser, and (4) the effective range and required dwell time for a variety of relevant missions, including correlated weather effects. In Phase II we will build and test a prototype of the selected hollow-core-fiber Raman gas laser system.