SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Tracking illuminator lasers (TILs) have a variety of applications in weapon system engagements including target detection, target identification, pose estimation 3D LIDAR and aim point tracking. A TIL with variable pulse parameters is desired to enable a wide dynamic range of these engagements. NP Photonics proposes to design and develop a laser source capable of producing high energy nanosecond laser with variable parameters and short coherent length by taking advantage of our laser technologies based on highly doped glasses. The proposed laser source has the advantage of high compactness and reliability. In Phase I we have demonstrated the feasibility to develop a TIL using our highly doped glass laser technologies and studied the risk of the proposed approach. In Phase II a fully functional TIL source will be developed and characterized, and a prototype of variable pulsed parameter TIL will be delivered.