Gaining a deeper experimental and theoretical understanding of maritime turbulence and laser light propagation in the marine boundary is required to optimize the performance of critical communication and defensive and offensive laser light engagements. Increased understanding of beam propagation through the turbulent flows of the marine layer will help the US Navy improve the performance of beam optic directors, adaptive optics, and other turbulence mitigating techniques and improve the safety and security of the warfighters. The Advanced Marine Layer Characterization Source is a SWaP-efficient fiber laser capable of generating 10W of average power to study the marine layer and enable several new avenues of research by providing high power pulses in the Deep Ultraviolet (DUV), the visible, and the near-IR (NIR). The multi-wavelength measurement system will enable measurement and modeling of key elements of the near surface marine layer. The novel fiber laser system can also be a key performance enhancement to the Navys expanding programs in High Energy Lasers. The picosecond pulsed laser system can be integrated into the tracking and control system to provide closed loop feedback to improve the targeting of the HEL beam on target.
Benefit: The technology developed during the program has application beyond marine sensing and can be used in the medical, scientific and industrial, and defense markets. TIPD has identified three potential markets for the high power laser technology, military, scientific and industrial. In additional to the Navys application, TIPD has identified high power laser programs that could benefit from the fibers including the Air Forces 6th generation aircraft, the Armys HEMTT program, and the Marines GBAD program. Other military applications include is secure UV non line of sight (UV-NLOS) communications between fielded combat units and command locations. Single-frequency laser source operating in the DUV can be used for NASAs application of ozone LIDAR, which enables global environmental monitoring and various space-borne biochemical studies. Two of NASAs upcoming Flagship Missions identified in the decadal survey (Jupiter Europa Orbiter (JEO) and Uranus Orbiter and Probe) are possible infusion opportunities based upon the attractive SWaP and reliability characteristics to proposed laser system. DUV and multi-band laser sources are in demand for laser cooling and trapping, and in industrial application including laser inspection, optical data storage, biomedical applications, and maskless laser lithography.
Keywords: Meteorological Instrumentation, turbulent boundary layer, picosecond laser, Maritime environment, Raman Lidar, laser beam propagation, 3-band Raman Laser System
