The Boeing Company

Arthur Henry Bauer

Alan Zachary Ullman

Jan Vetrovec

William Edward McDermott

Drew A Copeland

A sealed exhaust chemical oxygen-iodine laser (SECOIL) employing a sealed exhaust system (SES) is described. The SES is capable of selectively condensing and cryosorbing various chemical species contained in the laser-exhaust gas. Additionally, a condensable diluent is employed. The SES is configured so that the diluent and other condensables can be removed in a first stage with a high temperature condensing bed, while the oxygen can then be removed in a second stage in a low temperature sorbing bed. The result is a reduction in the weight, volume, and power consumption of the SECOIL system, especially the SES component thereof.

Sealed exhaust chemical oxygen-iodine laser system

A laser resonator and an associated method are provided which produce a laser beam having a relatively uniform intensity profile following a single pass through a single laser cavity. The laser resonator includes a laser cavity through which a chemical medium flows from an upstream end to a downstream end. The laser resonator also includes a first optical element, typically termed a secondary mirror, for directing an expanding laser beam across the cavity. The laser resonator also includes a second optical element disposed opposite the first optical element relative to the laser cavity. Typically, the second optical element is a set of primary mirrors and, more particularly, a pair of primary mirrors for both collimating and spatially inverting the laser beam relative to the predetermined flow direction of the chemical medium through the laser cavity. Once the expanded laser beam has been collimated and spatially inverted, the laser beam is redirected across the laser cavity. The laser resonator can also include a third optical element, such as a scraper mirror, that receives the redirected laser beam following its propagation across the laser cavity and that forms an output laser beam following a single pass of the collimated laser beam across the laser cavity.

Laser resonator having improved efficiency and beam uniformity and associated method

A wavelength selective laser system and associated method are provided that produce laser beams having wavelengths that are only slightly different, but that permit a composite return signal to be selectively processed in accordance with the wavelengths of the signals that comprise the composite return signal. The wavelength selective laser system includes first and second lasers for producing respective laser beams. Each of the first and second lasers define a nominal gain spectrum. However, the wavelength selective laser system also includes a magnetic field generator disposed about the second laser for altering the gain spectrum of the second laser such that the wavelengths of the laser beams produced by the first and second lasers differ by at least one part per million. As such, the first laser will emit signals having a first wavelength and the second laser will emit signals having a second wavelength. The wavelength selective laser system also includes means for directing a composite return signal to the second laser. As a result of the altered gain spectrum of the second laser, the second laser will preferentially amplify the signals of the composite return signal that were originally emitted by the second laser relative to the signals of the composite return signal that were originally emitted by the first laser, even in instances in which the wavelengths differ by only one or several parts per million.

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Newbury Park, CA, United States of America

Arthur Henry Bauer