Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

Yannick C Morel

Peter A Budni

John E McGeehan

Clint J Novotny

Simon Y London

Peter Ketteridge

Igor I Smolyaninov

Yeuan-Ming Sheu

Alexander B Kozyrev

Michael Lemons

Somnath Sengupta

Keith K Sturcken

Oved Zucker

Santos H Nazario-Camacho

Sheila J Konecke

Alan R Enman

Kevin T Werner

Mark T Walter

Oved S F Zucker

The system and method of using an ultra-short pulse mid and long wave infrared laser. The system is seeded with a 2 &#x3bc;m laser source having a pulse duration in the femtosecond range. The beam is stretched, to increase the pulse duration, and the beam is amplified, to increase an energy level of the laser beam. Both mid wave IR and long wave IR seed beams are first generated, and then amplified via one or more optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification stages. A compressor may be used to compress one or more of the output beams to achieve high peak power and controllable pulse duration in the output beams. The output beams may then be used to create atmospheric or material effects at km range.

Ultra-short pulse mid and long wave infrared laser

The system and method of producing a first path comprising a pulse stretcher for a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) signal, an optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) amplifier, and a MWIR compressor for producing a first beam in a MWIR portion of the spectrum and a second path comprising a pulse stretcher for a long wave infrared (LWIR) signal, an OPCPA amplifier, and a LWIR compressor for producing a second beam in a LWIR portion of the spectrum. Each beam, on its own, is configured to produce laser-matter interactions at long range (100s of meters), having nonlinear effects and favoring supercontinuum generation spanning multiple octaves, that is temporally and spatially overlapped with the fundamental laser beam.

Optical mixing approach for controlling electro-magnetic attributes of emitted laser pulses

The system and method for enhancing and suppressing radio frequency (RF) emissions in a laser induced plasma system using a second laser. A first igniter laser is used at short pulse widths and a second heater laser is used at longer pulse widths. By varying the energy of the heater laser and/or the timing of the arrival of the heater laser with respect to the igniter laser suppression and/or enhancement of the radio frequency (RF) emission from the induced plasma system is possible.

Enhancement or suppression of electro-magnetic attributes via second laser

A steerable high-power microwave beam array includes an optical sub-system comprising a laser and an optical time delay unit and a parallel set of RF time delay units. The optical system and/or the RF delay subsystem are utilized to precisely delay the pulses from the microwave antenna elements to provide steerable beam forming.

High-power microwave beam steerable array and related methods

A method for generating high power pulsed RF waveforms comprises the steps of charging a transmission line in a pulse forming network with a high-voltage and discharging the voltage on the transmission line to ground utilizing a gallium nitride photoconductive switch.

Generation of flexible high power pulsed waveforms

A microwave module is described. The microwave module includes a base bracket, a window plate and a lid. The base bracket is configured to contain a photoconductive switch, a radio-frequency transformer and dielectric oil. The window plate, which is transparent to optical light, covers a first portion of the base bracket in which the photoconductive switch is located. The window plate is sealed to the base bracket. The lid, which includes a cutout to allow the radio-frequency transformer to pass through the lid, covers a second portion of the base bracket in which the radio-frequency transformer is located. The window plate is sealed to the base bracket, and the lid is sealed to the window plate, the base bracket and the radio-frequency transformer to contain the dielectric oil within the microwave module.

Packaging for high-power microwave module

A Multi-Cycle Digital High Power Microwave (MCD-HPM) source includes a microwave transmission line (MTL) to which a plurality electrically charged thin film transmission lines (TFTL's) are connected by switches. The switches are activated in sequence to generate a square wave at a microwave output frequency. The activation signal is controlled by a free space time delay, which can vary the timing and/or routing of the activation signal by modifying at least one free space element, thereby adjusting the switch activation timing and varying the output frequency. In embodiments, the switches are photo-conducting switches, the activation signal is a laser beam, and the switch timing is varied by reorienting and/or repositioning mirrors and/or other elements in the free space time delay. The elements can be manually adjusted, or mounted on motorized stages and automatically controlled. Optical amplifiers can be included to compensate for losses in the time delay elements.

Frequency agile high power microwave generator

Disclosed is a method of coupling light into a power semiconductor device having a semiconductor structure with two or more layers. The power semiconductor device has multiple cells of functionally identical units linked by multiple interconnects. In each device unit, a patterned electrode layer is disposed on the surface of the semiconductor structure. The method includes illuminating the power semiconductor device by directing a light from a light source through the patterned electrode layer to form an enhanced light coupling with the semiconductor structure. The patterned electrode layer is configured to have a micron scaled grid pattern having multiple metal grids and aperture openings that is based on a distributed resistance model having two characteristic current decay lengths.

Methods for light coupling into power semiconductors

Implementing a layered hyperbolic metamaterial in a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) to improve thermal conductivity and thermal dissipation thereby stabilizing optical performance. Improvement in the thermal management and power is expected by replacing the distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors in the VCSEL. The layered metamaterial structure performs the dual function of the DBR and the heat spreader at the same time.

Hyperbolic metamaterials as distributed bragg mirrors for high power VCSEL devices

A single fiber optic cable is configured as a multiplexer/demultiplexer that allows wavelengths to exit the fiber along its length and feed an optical sensor network in a cost efficient and space efficient manner. The fiber may be implemented as a multimode optical fiber that includes a plurality of Fiber Bragg Gratings that are tilted relative to the axis of the multimode fiber. Each grating is used to reflect multiple wavelengths of light out of the fiber depending on the diameter and the number of principal modes of the fiber. The plurality of FBGs allows light at multiple wavelengths to be extracted from the fiber at multiple locations along its length. At each location, reflected light at multiple wavelengths extracted from the multimode fiber may be fed through a plurality of fiber optic paths to optical sensors banks of optical sensors.

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Falls Church, VA, United States of America

Yannick C Morel