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Lockheed Martin Corporation

Stuart D Pompian

Charles S Naiman

A multi-color, multi-pulse laser target designator is disclosed in which the target is illuminated with pulses of preselected colors and interpulse spacings so as to uniquely identify the target. Inter-pulse spacing may be varied down to an arbitarily small spacing by virtue of the use of pulses of differing colors, thereby increasing countermeasure resistance due to the difficulty of a target detecting and duplicating inter-pulse spacing. Pulse elongation is provided in one embodiment to provide prolonged illumination of the target so as to permit increased homing accuracy for optically guided weapons.

Multi-color, multi-pulse laser

A multi-color, multi-pulse laser operating at a number of wavelengths is provided with a like number of cavities to produce a like number of output pulses from a single pumping pulse. The spacing between the pulses is easily controlled by controlling the timing of Q-switches, each in a different cavity, so that information is imparted by the pulse spacing. In a two color embodiment, a beam splitting device is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the laser medium to produce two beams which are directed into different cavity resonators, each tuned to a different wavelength. Reflecting surfaces positioned at the end of each cavity redirect each beam back to the beam splitting device where the beams are spatially recombined and subsequently two pulses, one of one color and the other of the second color, are sequentially coupled out of the laser system. The colors may be sufficiently close in wavelength such that detection does not discriminate against the two colors, and a double pulse output is obtained at the detector. In this manner, the laser system produces two output pulses from a single laser medium and a single pumping pulse. The pulse width of each of the pulses may also be controlled by pulse stretching means in one or more of the optical paths.

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Waban, MA, United States of America

Stuart D Pompian