SBIR Phase I: Affordable Optically Pumped Semiconductor Lasers for Polychromatic Guide Star Systems

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一种新颖、紧凑、低成本的半导体发射机作为导航星源。同样的技术将以非常简单的方式扩展，以产生多色导星(PGS)源。该计划致力于研究和开发一种独特的激光技术，同时提供一种紧凑且低成本的替代染料激光器作为激光导星(LGS)和PGS源。第一阶段工作的目标是证明可以在高频谱保真度和控制的情况下获得所需的多瓦平均功率水平。从更广泛的角度来看，第一阶段工作和可能的第二阶段后续工作的成功完成将全面展示拟议技术在LGS和PGS应用中满足商业天文台要求的能力。该计划中提出的自适应光学(AO)技术针对的是天文学社区。世界各地有大量的望远镜将受益于负担得起的导航星AO系统。初步初步调查显示，现有、在建或规划阶段的系统将需要数百个发射机。大型望远镜将需要多颗10-25瓦的激光导航星。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a novel, compact, low cost, semiconductor transmitter to serve as a guide star source. The same technology will be extended in a very straightforward fashion to produce a polychromatic guide star (PGS) source. This program addresses research and development of a unique laser technology that simultaneously provides a compact and low-cost alternative to dye lasers as Laser guide stars (LGS) and PGS sources. The objective of the Phase I effort is to demonstrate that the required multi-watt average power levels can be obtained with high spectral fidelity and control. From a broader perspective, successful completion of the Phase I effort and a potential Phase II follow-on will provide a complete demonstration of the ability of the proposed technology to meet commercial observatory requirements in both LGS and PGS applications. The technology proposed in this program adaptive optics (AO) targets the astronomical community. There are a large number of telescopes world-wide that would benefit from affordable guide star AO systems. An initial preliminary survey has shown that hundreds of transmitters would be required for systems that currently exist, are under construction or in the planning phase. Large telescopes will require multiple 10- 25 watt laser guide stars.