DON26TZ05-NV022 TITLE: Compact Efficient High Energy Pulsed Laser

OUSW (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE)

COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA(S): Directed Energy (DE)

PROJECTED CMMC LEVEL REQUIREMENT: Level 2 (Self)

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. 

OBJECTIVE: Develop a robust, compact, high-pulse-energy laser for airborne material ablation and penetration, focusing on repetition rate tunability and pulse energy as the highest-priority parameters.

DESCRIPTION: The primary goal of this STTR topic is to develop novel, effective methods for material ablation and penetration during airborne missions. This effort seeks innovations in long-pulse lasers intended for airborne platforms. The final deliverable will be a laser system provided to the Navy to explore the feasibility and military utility of this technology.

A successful project will document, design, and test a robust, turn-key, long-pulse laser system that meets the following performance specifications:

• Pulse Energy: 10 J or greater

• Repetition Rate: Tunable up to 40 kHz

• Pulse Generation: Capable of producing single, on-demand pulses

• Pulse Duration: Greater than 5 nanoseconds

• Thermal Management: Must adequately manage heat while operating at high repetition rates and maximum power for a duration of at least 10 seconds. (Note: This duty cycle is significantly longer than commercially available systems.)

The resulting system must be engineered for practical field use with the following characteristics:

• Compact - an optimal volume of approximately 80 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 24 inches high - with a clear path to packaging.

• Maintainable and operable by non-laser specialists, i.e., basic operations (e.g., system startup and shutdown, changing the repetition rate) should not require a laser engineer to perform manual realignment of optical components.

• Minimal required maintenance. (Note: If flashlamp pumping is used, the lamps must be exchangeable without the expertise of a laser engineer.)

Proposals should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The highest priorities for this effort are repetition rate tunability and pulse energy.

• Pulse duration and center frequency are flexible parameters but must be sufficient to demonstrate laser-material interactions.

• If the requirements for all parameters are deemed infeasible, proposals should specify what can be achieved. Evaluations will be scored accordingly.

• The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components is permitted; however, the project will require novel laser engineering to achieve the desired performance.

• Coherent beam combining is an acceptable approach to reach the specified pulse energies.

PHASE I: Establish a comprehensive and feasible concept for a plan for the laser system. Create a detailed system design, specify all necessary components, and conduct a thorough cost analysis. Validate the design's feasibility with supporting modeling and engineering calculations ensuring that the model must generate clear performance goals (e.g., pulse duration, spectral profile, pulse energy, timing diagram) that the system will aim to meet in Phase II. Provide a proof-of-concept or breadboard demonstration for any novel or high-risk concepts that are critical to the success of Phase II.

Develop a detailed Statement of Work (SOW) that includes a timeline for system development and identifies the personnel required for its successful completion. Prepare and submit required periodic progress updates to ensure the project remains on track to meet its objectives.

Prepare prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.

PHASE II: Build and validate the prototype laser system based on the design established in Phase I, which will involve continuous iteration to meet the project's demanding performance goals. Execute the design proposed in Phase I to fabricate and benchmark the system's capabilities. Continuously iterate and improve upon the design to better meet the primary goals of a tunable repetition rate and multi-Joule pulse energy.

Key Milestones

• Successful demonstration of the laser system meeting the project's core objectives.

• Measurement of penetration rates on selected material samples.

• A comprehensive assessment of the far-field beam quality.

Deliver a compact prototype or a prototype that has a clear and viable path to becoming compact, is operable by non-experts, and does not require manual movement of optical components during routine operation.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Develop and acquire a compact, ruggedized, and commercially available laser system that meets the performance thresholds defined in this topic.

The technology is expected to enter Phase III at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3/4. The Navy may seek follow-on funding for demonstrations to support further development and transition the system to TRL 6.

The technology resulting from this effort is anticipated to have broad military application. In addition, there are scientific uses, specifically in high energy physics. Machining, plasma science, and solar energy or power beaming are a few industries that may benefit from this technology.

REFERENCES:

1. Brauch, U.; Rocker, C.; Graf, T. and Ahmed, M. "High-power, high-brightness solid-state laser architectures and their characteristics." Applied Physics B, 128:58, 2022. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00340-021-07736-0
2. Hartog, D.J.; Holly, D.J. and Thomas, M. A. "Next steps in high-repetition-rate laser development for Thomson scattering." 20th International Symposium on Laser-Aided Plasma Diagnostics, Kyoto, Japan, 10-14 Sept. 2023. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-0221/18/10/C10023
3. Kim, H,; Kim, E. and Lee, D. "The development of a high repetitive and high power Nd:YAG laser by using a zero-current switching resonant converter." Optics and Laser Technology, 30, pp. 199-203, 1998. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003039929800036X
4. Zediker, M. and Zucker, E. "High-power diode laser technology XX: a retrospective on 20 years of Progress.," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol 11983, 2022. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11983/1198302/High-power-diode-laser-technology-XX--a-retrospective-on/10.1117/12.2615260.pdf
5. Hamlin, S.; Hardy, C.; Younis, W. and Charpentier, A. "Quad Flashlamp Driver." Proceedings of SPIE, Vol 13341, 2025. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13341/1334113/Quad-flashlamp-driver/10.1117/12.3049549.full

KEYWORDS: Pulsed laser; High average power; High repetition rate; Directed energy; Airborne laser; Coherent beam combining

TPOC 1 : Claresta Dennis
(858) 978-0933
claresta.n.dennis.civ@us.navy.mil

TPOC 2 : Robert Seaver
(858) 978-3932
robert.t.seaver.civ@us.navy.mil