SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The goal of the proposal presented by NP Photonics, “Eye-safe Fiber Laser Illuminator for Coherent Detection� is to design, build and demonstrate a high energy transform limited fiber laser for coherent illuminator applications. We are proposing to use an all-fiber Master-Oscillator Power-Amplifier (MOPA) laser architecture. We have experience building such a system and have already commercially developed and sold a robust, all-fiber 1550nm eye-safe MOPA laser utilizing our proprietary NP Erbium-doped Phosphate gain fibers, specialty splicing and agile seed laser technologies. Our current laser significantly improves this product by enhancing energy per pulse to more than 1.3mJ with transform-limited (single frequency) pulses and 20W of average power, with linearly polarized near diffraction-limited beam (M2 < 1.3). It is not feasible to reach these kinds of peak power levels with other commercial silica fiber laser products. The proposed system will take advantage of our new fiber technology and fiber design with improved gain to reach the desired performance. We believe that NP Photonics' proprietary “Erbium and Erbium/Ytterbium-doped Phosphate Glass and Fiber� technology is the key to reaching the desired performance levels along with the robustness and maturity necessary for field operation.
