Raytheon Company

Justin O Compton

Jason R Lavine

Justin Paul

David R McCormick

An apparatus includes an auto-alignment laser configured to generate an auto-alignment laser beam. The apparatus also includes a spectral beam combiner having a diffraction grating. The diffraction grating is configured to diffract multiple input laser beams to produce a combined beam having a higher power or energy compared to the individual input laser beams. The diffraction grating is also configured to diffract the auto-alignment laser beam so that a portion of the auto-alignment laser beam co-propagates in a common direction with the combined beam. Wavelengths of the input laser beams and the auto-alignment laser beam may be selected such that portions of the input laser beams and the portion of the auto-alignment laser beam diffract from the diffraction grating in the common direction. The portion of the auto-alignment laser beam that co-propagates with the combined beam may include a higher-order diffraction of the auto-alignment laser beam from the diffraction grating.

Spectral beam combiner supporting embedded auto-alignment scheme

A directed energy system is provided and includes a housing defining an unobscured aperture for emitted electromagnetic (EM) radiation and a stiffening strut assembly installed at an outlet of the housing and through which the emitted EM radiation passes. The directed energy system and various elements such as the telescope and optical trains described herein are well suited for, but not limited to, high-energy (HE) laser applications.

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Prosper, TX, United States of America

Justin O Compton