Phase-Locked Microlaser Array

锁相微型激光阵列

• 批准号: 9360378
• 负责人: Steven Tidwell
• 金额: $ 6.49万
• 依托单位: ACULIGHT CORPORATION
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1994
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1994-04-01 至 1994-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9360378&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Phase; Locked; Microlaser; Array

9360378 Tidwell In an effort to reach higher powers, laser researchers have developed larger and increasingly complex devices. An alternate scaling approach is to combine the output power of many simple low-power lasers in an array. Microlasers are the perfect array elements because they are mass-producible and have polarized, singlefrequency, diffraction-limited outputs. Aculight has developed a unique microlaser array based on the desire for coherent operation. A coherent array with N elements produces an output beam that is N times more powerful on a distant target or N times smaller at the focus of a lens than an incoherent N-element array. Since microlaser arrays can easily contain several hundred elements, the benefit of coherent operation is great. Coherent operation opens applications in machining and processing of advanced materials such as composites and ceramics. It also enables applications requiring the output wavelength to be converted to other parts of the spectrum using nonlinear optics. Coherent operation is also the next step toward electronic beam steering for military and commercial applications. These opportunities are possible only with the previous development of the Aculight mircolaser array hardware. The objective of the proposed Phase I program will be to demonstrate coherent operation of the Aculight microlaser array. We will fabricate servo control electronics for the array and integrate the circuitry into the existing computer. We will test the sensitivity of the laser to variations in power, cooling, and other variables to determine the ultimate commercial feasibility. The anticipated result is a compact, scalable laser with high beam quality and single-frequency output.

9360378 Tidwell 为了达到更高的功率，激光研究人员开发了更大且日益复杂的设备。另一种缩放方法是将许多简单的低功率激光器的输出功率组合在一个阵列中。微型激光器是完美的阵列元件，因为它们可以大规模生产，并且具有偏振、单频、衍射限制的输出。 Aculight 基于相干操作的需求开发了一种独特的微型激光器阵列。具有 N 个元件的相干阵列产生的输出光束在远处目标上的强度比非相干 N 元件阵列强 N 倍，在透镜焦点处的输出光束小 N 倍。由于微型激光器阵列可以轻松包含数百个元件，因此相干操作的好处是巨大的。连贯操作开启了复合材料和陶瓷等先进材料的机械加工和加工应用。它还支持需要使用非线性光学将输出波长转换为光谱其他部分的应用。相干操作也是军事和商业应用电子波束控制的下一步。这些机会只有通过之前开发的 Aculight 微激光阵列硬件才有可能实现。 拟议第一阶段计划的目标是演示 Aculight 微型激光器阵列的相干操作。我们将为阵列制造伺服控制电子设备，并将电路集成到现有计算机中。我们将测试激光器对功率、冷却和其他变量变化的敏感性，以确定最终的商业可行性。预期结果是一种紧凑、可扩展的激光器，具有高光束质量和单频输出。