SBIR-STTR Award

To address the Navys need for a solid state fundamental mode green laser for ocean mine detection, Lumany is proposing a compact, high efficiency, diode pumped solid state, q-switched laser based on novel laser diode pumps and a unique solid state crystal with excellent energy storage properties for high peak power, short pulsed green lasing output at 520nm from the fundamental mode. This proposed approach meets the program requirements by eliminating the need for second harmonic generation to achieve green laser emission, which is expensive, inefficient, bulky, and temperature sensitive. Lumanys proposal leverages several prior related achievements, specifically in Lumanys commercialization of the worlds first CW diode pumped solid state laser delivering visible light output from the fundamental mode. In addition to Lumanys expertise in visible solid state laser technology, the proposing team includes Clemson Universitys Professor Eric Johnson, the PalmettoNet Endowed Chair in Optoelectronics and his group at Clemsons Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies. Additionally, the proposing team includes Soraa Laser Diode, the only commercial GaN laser diode manufacturer in the United States, founded by Professors Shuji Nakamura and Steve DenBaars of University of California, Santa Barbara.

Benefit:
For the last several decades, multi-billion dollar markets have emerged for solid state lasers which are pumped in the infrared wavelength range 780 980 nm and emit fundamental lasing mode output in the infrared range 1000-1100 nm. These lasers are efficient and reliable in CW, q-switched, and modelocked operation; however, visible and near UV operation require second and third harmonic generation respectively, thereby adding cost, size, weight, and failure mechanisms to the IR laser systems. In this program, Lumany will commercialize an entirely new class of solid state laser which enjoys all of the benefits of IR solid state lasers, but with the advantage of visible output emission, with roughly twice the photon energy of IR laser predecessors. Eliminating the second harmonic generation stage improves the size, weight, cost, temperature sensitivity, and efficiency of the visible laser system in a dramatic fashion, in some cases by a factor of two. In addition to enabling superior lasers for defense and security applications, this laser platform addresses billion dollar commercial applications which demand visible or UV output such as biomedical and industrial metals processing due to >10x absorption (compared to IR) of blood, skin, and copper, silver, gold respectively.

Keywords:
solid state fundamental mode green laser, solid state fundamental mode green laser, visible q-switched laser, ocean mine detection

To address the Navys need for a solid state fundamental mode green laser for ocean mine detection, Lumany is proposing a compact, high efficiency, diode pumped solid state, q-switched laser based on novel laser diode pumps and a unique solid state crystal with excellent with energy storage properties for high peak power, short pulsed green lasing output at 520nm from the fundamental mode. This proposed approach meets the program requirements by eliminating the need for second harmonic generation to achieve green laser emission, which is expensive, inefficient, bulky, and temperature sensitive. Lumanys proposal leverages several prior related achievements, specifically in Lumanys commercialization of the worlds first CW diode pumped solid state laser delivering visible light output from the fundamental mode. In addition to Lumanys expertise in visible solid state laser technology, the proposing team includes Clemson Universitys Professor Eric Johnson, the PalmettoNet Endowed Chair in Optoelectronics and his group at Clemsons Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies. Additionally, the proposing team includes laser vendor Soraa Laser Diode, the only commercial GaN laser diode manufacturer in the United States, founded by Professors Shuji Nakamura and Steve DenBaars of University of California, Santa Barbara.

Benefit:
For the last several decades, multi-billion dollar markets have emerged for solid state lasers which are pumped in the infrared wavelength range 780 980 nm and emit fundamental lasing mode output in the infrared range 1000-1100 nm. These lasers are efficient and reliable in CW, q-switched, and modelocked operation; however, visible and near UV operation require second and third harmonic generation respectively, thereby adding cost, size, weight, and failure mechanisms to the IR laser systems. In this program, Lumany will commercialize an entirely new class of solid state laser which enjoys all of the benefits of IR solid state lasers, but with the advantage of visible output emission, with roughly twice the photon energy of IR laser predecessors. Eliminating the second harmonic generation stage improves the size, weight, cost, temperature sensitivity, and efficiency of the visible laser system in a dramatic fashion, in some cases by a factor of two. In addition to enabling superior lasers for defense and security applications, this laser platform addresses billion dollar commercial applications which demand visible or UV output such as biomedical and industrial metals processing due to >10x absorption (compared to IR) of blood, skin, and copper, silver, gold respectively.

Keywords:
visible q-switched laser, solid state fundamental mode green laser, ocean mine detection