AGILE PROTECTION BY LASER-INDUCED ABSORPTION SCATTERING AND REFLECTION

THERE IS A NEED FOR A SINGLE FILTER THAT WILL PROTECT THE EYES OF PERSONNEL AGAINST FREQUENCY AGILE LASERS WITHOUT DEGRADING ESSENTIAL VISUAL PERFORMANCE. DYNAMIC, REVERSIBLE AND BROADBAND OCULAR SHIELDS UNDER DEVELOPMENT AT GUMBS OPTICALLY AND PASSIVELY SWITCH FROM A TRANSPARENT STATE TO AN ABSORBING STATE IN PICOSECONDS AT INTENSITIES OF 10 MJ/CM(2) AND HIGHER. IN VIEW OF THIS CAPABILITY, THIS PROPOSAL OUTLINES A RESEARCH PROGRAM TO DEVELOP A SINGLE FILTER THAT WILL SWITCH AT 10 JJ/CM(2) AND PROVIDE PROTECTION TO THE EYES BY ABSORBING, SCATTERING AND REFLECTING THE HAZARDOUS RADIATION. THE PHOTOACTIVE SYSTEM OF THE PROPOSED DEVICE CONSISTS OF A TOP REFLECTIVE LAYER AND A BOTTOM SCATTERING LAYER. BOTH LAYERS WILL ALSO CONTAIN ABSORBING MATERIALS. THE KEY QUESTION THAT THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL ANSWER IS WHETHER THIS OPTICALLY SWITCHING FILTER CAN PROVIDE ADEQUATE OCULAR PROTECTION AT LOW INTENSITIES. IF PHASE I IS SUCCESSFUL, A MORE INTENSIVE STUDY OF THE KINETICS AND MECHANISM OF THE PROCESS WILL BE INITIATED WITH MORE DETAILED CHARACTERIZATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE DEVICE. WITH THE USE OF PICOSECOND RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES, DATA ON THE PHOTOPHYSICS OF THE PROCESS WILL BE OBTAINED.