Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.

York E Young

Daniel J Creeden

Andrew J Radl

Peter Ketteridge

John C McCarthy

Evan P Chicklis

Scott D Setzler

Rick L Thompson

Glen Allan Rines

Kenneth Dinndorf

Robert J Grasso

Randy C Day

Systems and methods for generating infrared radiation are provided. The systems and methods may generate, via one or more pump sources, one or more pump beams. The one or more pump beams may define a single beamline. The systems and methods may further generate, via a nonlinear optical converter, a first signal wavelength, a first idler wavelength, a second signal wavelength, and a second idler wavelength based, at least in part, on the one or more pump beams. The first signal wavelength and the first idler wavelength may be independently variable from the second signal wavelength and the second idler wavelength. The systems and methods may further output, via the nonlinear optical converter, a mid-wave infrared (MWIR) beam including three or more wavelengths in the single beamline.

Single beamline multiwavelength infrared radiation source

A light system may include a fused mid-IR tapered combiner to optically connect a bundle of mid-IR fiber bundles with a multimode fiber. The fused mid-IR fiber tapered combiner arranges a bundle of fibers in a geometric arrangement to reduce the diameter of a plurality of mid-IR fibers to match or equal the diameter of a single multimode mid-IR fiber. The mid-IR fibers carry light produced and emitted from semiconductor light sources.

Infrared fiber combiner

A hybrid laser countermeasure line replaceable unit and method of upgrading therewith is provided. The unit includes two generable laser beams, namely, a first pulsed laser beam and a second continuous wave laser beam. Further embodiments may have multiple pulsed and continuous wave laser beams as necessary. The two beams in this single unit either may be generated from a single gain medium or may be generated from multiple gain mediums inside the line replaceable unit. The two beams may be combined if necessary to provide greater likelihood of success as a countermeasure to defend against optically guided incoming threats to a vehicle, such as military aircraft.

Hybrid laser countermeasure line replaceable unit and method of upgrading therewith

A system and method for efficiently combining multiple laser beams into a single frequency by invoking stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in a dual core optical fiber is disclosed. The method and apparatus essentially becomes a brightness converter for the input laser beams. An SRS seed is generated in a long length of fiber or by a diode and is launched into the back-end of the SBS combining optical fiber. Various single-frequency pump beams are launched into the front-end of the same fiber. The seed acts to lower a threshold for SBS in the fiber, thus invoking the nonlinearity. Provided the various pump beams are close in frequency and seed/pump modes overlap, each acts to amplify the seed through the nonlinear SBS process, providing an output signal which is brighter than the combined pump beams.

Method for beam combination by seeding stimulated brillouin scattering in optical fiber

A resonantly pumped, trivalent thulium ion (Tm3+) doped, crystal laser with improved efficiency is disclosed. Embodiments are pumped from the 3H6 ground state manifold to the 1st excited 3F4 state manifold by photons with wavelengths between 1.4 and 2.2 microns and laser wavelengths ranging from 1.5 to 2.4 microns arising from 3F4 to 3H6 transitions ensue, with output wavelengths dependant upon the choice of pump wavelength, crystalline host, and resonator optics.

Resonantly pumped Tm doped cyrstalline lasers

A monolithic pumped laser cavity design is disclosed. Elements of the laser cavity, such as gain material, Q-switch, reflector, and outcoupler, are contact bonded together with a thermally conductive epoxy. The assembly is then operatively coupled to a heat sink (e.g., by mechanical or chemical means). The assembly is potted in thermally conductive potting material. The stacked elements or a subset thereof may be bonded to heat sink mounts and/or face cooling layers. In this fashion, various elements can be easily assembled and bonded together to provide the desired combination of laser energy, pulse width, and repetition frequency. The thermally conductive potting material provides structural integrity, as well as thermal management by extracting heat from the encased assembly to the heat sink. The optional heat sink mounts and face cooling operate to further extract heat and reduce thermal loading. Outcoupling to fiber may also be provided.

Monolithic diode-pumped laser cavity

Techniques for generating terahertz (THz) radiation are provided in which each nonlinear crystal in an array of such crystals is coupled to one or more corresponding waveguides such that any THz radiation generated in any single crystal is coupled into that crystal's THz waveguide structure. After the THz radiation is generated in the crystals and coupled into the waveguides, the individual THz signals may be coherently combined to form a single THz signal (non-coherent configurations are provided as well). Crystal-waveguide arrays embodying the techniques can be used to implement efficient, robust, and compact THz sources suitable for applications such as security screening, medical imaging, quality control and process monitoring in manufacturing operations, and package and container inspection.

Nonlinear crystal and waveguide array for generation of terahertz radiation

The laser includes a resonant cavity formed between a first mirror and a second mirror. An unsensitized Erbium-doped crystal gain medium for producing laser gain is disposed within the resonant cavity. A saturable absorber is disposed within the resonant cavity. A pump source is positioned to energize the gain medium. The saturable absorber, the laser gain, the resonator length, and the second mirror being selected so that output pulses having a duration of less than 75 nanoseconds are generated by the laser.

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Amherst, NH, United States of America

York E Young