Advanced missile defense systems require low repetition rate high pulse energy diode pumped solid state lasers with relatively high pulse energies. Historically, the quasi-continuous wave (QCW) diode laser pumps have not yielded the optical performance or, more notably, the reliability required by… More

High power eyesafe lasers are crucial for many military and industrial applications. Erbium doped lasers offer the potential for direct laser operation at 1.5 microns thereby reducing the size and cost and improving the efficiency of today' frequency converted one-micron lasers. Diode pumped… More

High power eyesafe lasers are crucial for many military and industrial applications. Erbium doped lasers offer the potential for direct laser operation at 1.5 microns thereby reduces the size and cost and improving the efficiency of today' frequency converted one-micron lasers. Diode pumped Erbium… More

The objective of this proposal is to derive a practical, manufacturable route to a high performance two-dimensional photonic crystal broad area high power diode laser, through collaboration between a leading research institution (Caltech) and a leading manufacturer of high power diode lasers… More

High pulse energy lasers are a critical part of missile defense systems. Typical lasers deployed in missile defense applications require between 100mJ and 1 Joule of pulse energy and use diode pumped solid-state master oscillators typically based on a Neodymium doped crystal. To meet the laser… More

nLight proposes to develop high-power, high-efficiency laser diodes emitting at 1907nm. Performance is expected to improve from the current state-of-the-art technology at 15C of 20% electrical-to-optical (E/O) conversion efficiency and 11.5W continuous-wave power (CW) to 25% E/O efficiency and 18W… More

The elimination or suppression of filaments through the use of photonic crystal structures is proposed in this STTR. Filament formation is a well-known problem in high-power, broad area semiconductor diode lasers, often leading to catastrophic failure of the diodes. The diode failure also normally… More

The focus of the proposed effort is maximizing the brightness of fiber coupled laser diode pump sources at a minimum cost. The specific innovation proposed is to challenge the industry standard design of laser bars used in fiber coupled pump packages and to demonstrate that an alternative designs… More

The objective of this proposal is to eliminate the catastrophic optical damage that limits the peak operating power of cryogenically operated visible red (630-nm) laser diodes. The method to be applied is band gap disordering by Zn-diffusion. This will be the first time this technique has ever been… More

In this proposal, nLight and their collaborator, Eric Johnson, of CREOL, seek to address the main limitations in generating phased arrays by using very high power single mode tapered devices that are phase locked via long "coupling" lasers. The individual diodes would be phase aligned by careful… More

High power, high efficiency 4.7-um semiconductor diode lasers which operate at room temperature are a key enabling technology for low cost, light weight infra-red counter measure systems. nLight proposes to combine (1) proven nLight high performance 8-µm MOCVD quantum Cascade InP diode technology… More

We propose to perform analytical and empirical studies of laser diode packages in regards to long-term reliability for use in the space environment. Our approach will be to develop a physics based understanding of the failure mechanisms observed due to operation in vacuum and radiation… More

Through this research grant nLight Corporation will combine its proven design and production experience in high-reliability, single-emitter, fiber-coupled, laser diode module packaging, with its proven experience in 9XX nm, high-power, wide-stripe, super-high-efficiency-diodes (SHEDs) to design a… More

nLight and Caltech intend to develop and commercially release high power diode lasers which use novel photonic crystal technology to pin the diode into a single mode with narrow spectral linewidth and narrow, stable single mode far field. They will be suitable for use as: (1) high-performance diode… More

High peak power, high efficiency, high reliability lightweight, low cost QCW laser diode pump modules with up to 1000W of QCW output become possible with nLight's new laser diode package methodology. Following the design principles from our Phase I results, we propose an innovative packaging… More

nLight developed high-power, high-efficiency laser diodes emitting at 1907nm for the pumping of solid-state lasers during the Phase I. The innovation brought to bear at 19-xxnm wavelengths nLight's design knowledge and experience from its highly successful 9xx-nm and 14xx-nm, high-efficiency and… More

Joining severed vessels is a recurring problem in trauma and surgery. The basic technology that uses suture has been available for a long time. Many technologies have been introduced to make vessel suturing water-tight. Any solution to this problem must integrate well with standard medical care.… More

Space-based laser systems require unsurpassed reliability and ruggedness, as space-deployment may make it impossible to service and repair deployed systems. In this program we propose to continue our Phase I investigation to systematically identify, address and eliminate the most significant… More

Proposed is a high power, high efficiency, high reliability compact eye-safe LIDAR source. The diode pump source is an electrically series-connected array of single emitters coupled into an optical fiber known commercially as Pearl. During the course of the program nLight will transfer and improve… More

We propose to build a monolithically integrated FPA of densely packed APDs (70-um pitch) operating at or around 1500 nm wavelength that is suitable for the solicited autonomous precision landing and hazard detection and avoidance system. These would be capable of 3D imaging an area of 150m x 150m… More

Power scaling of Er (Yb Free) fiber lasers is discussed. A 50W CW fiber laser at 1600nm is constructed with electronic pulsing of the seed source, using a MOPA configuration. A kW 1600nm single-mode fiber laser will be designed. A beam combining method to reach 100kW will be designed, for use in… More

In this Phase 2 program, nLight intends to demonstrate high-reliability / high-efficiency 808-nm broad area diode lasers. The root-cause of the failure modes of diode lasers investigated under Phase 1 will be addressed in this program. Collaborative work on built-in filament control by etching… More

Based on promising results obtained under our Phase 1 SBIR contract, nLIGHT wishes to proceed with a Phase 2 program. In the proposed program, nLIGHT will continue the development of high power, single-lateral-mode tapered diode lasers. nLIGHT has identified fundamental limitations to the… More

Through this research grant nLight Corporation will combine its proven design and production experience in high-reliability, single-emitter, fiber-coupled, laser diode module packaging, with its proven experience in 9XX nm, high-power, wide-stripe, super-high-efficiency-diodes (SHEDs) to produce a… More

As described in our Phase I proposal: the overall goal is to develop a complete system for micro-anastomosis of blood vessels. This involves (1) a unique laser system that uses water as the absorbing chromophore, (2) a clinically useful handpiece that is appropriate for microsurgery, (3) a novel… More

nLight has demonstrated highly-uniform APD arrays based on the highly sensitive InGaAs/InP material system. These results provide great promise for achieving the performance and uniformity requirements necessary to enable 3D LIDAR applications such as autonomous precision landing and hazard… More

While conventional injection seeding sources (such as DFB diode lasers and rare-earth doped solid-state microchip lasers) are available at 1.5 microns, these sources typically lack the ultra-narrow (

Our proposed innovation is to design and fabricate a diode pumped Er:YAG micro-chip laser capable of varied repetition rates and high pulse energies using the single emitter-based high brightness pump developed in the Phase I. Future NASA missions will require high-pulse power with variable … More

High-power solid state lasers operating beyond 1300-nm have been proposed as "eye-safer" sources in military applications such as LADAR and directed energy weapons. Erbium-doped solid state lasers provide an attractive gain medium due to emission at eyesafe wavelengths , and the potential for low… More

Flares are routinely used for battlefield illumination or for identification of hazards and landing strips. Visible light flares are simple in concept and execution, but have the disadvantage of being easily visible by anyone within visual range. Infrared flares enable the covert use of… More

High-power solid state lasers operating beyond 1300-nm have been proposed as "eye-safer" sources in many applications. Erbium-doped solid state lasers provide an attractive gain medium due to emission at eyesafe wavelengths, and the potential for ultra-low quantum defect pumping by diode lasers… More

Erbium-doped solid state and fiber lasers provide an attractive source at eyesafe wavelengths, and the potential for ultra-low quantum defect pumping by diode lasers operating around 1532-nm. Unfortunately, these systems, to date, have been limited by the spatial brightness of the diode pumps. … More

While conventional injection seeding sources (such as DFB diode lasers and rare-earth doped solid-state microchip lasers) are available at 1.5 microns, these sources typically lack the ultra-narrow (

High power mid-IR amplifiers based on Thulium or Holmium doped fibers typically require a narrow spectral linewidth source to serve as the seed laser. While conventional injection seeding sources (such as DFB diode lasers and rare-earth doped solid-state microchip lasers) are available at 1.5… More

In this proposal, nLight and its collaborator, Prof. Kent Choquette, of the University of Illinois, seek to directly address limiting factors which have prevented the development of coherent high power diode laser arrays. The proposed approach leverages a novel method of fabricating in-phase… More

Based on promising results obtained under Army Phase 1 SBIR funding, nLight proposes a Phase 2 continuation toward the development of high-power, cryogenically-cooled 1532-nm eyesafe laser diode arrays for use in resonant pumping of Er-doped gain media. Cryogenic cooling of diode lasers can provide… More

Next generation lasers for Missile Defense ranging applications require scaling pulse brightness and repetition rates in compact and efficient packages. To address this need, nLight proposes to significantly increase the pulse energy of passively Q-switched diode pumped solid state laser while… More

Based on promising results obtained under ONR Phase 1 SBIR funding, nLight proposes a Phase 2 continuation toward the development of high-power, high-efficiency, wavelength-stabilized 1532-nm eyesafe laser diode pump modules for use in resonant pumping of Er-doped gain media. In the proposed Phase 2… More

Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) is an advanced energy concept that has the potential to meet future worldwide energy needs through fusion energy. In order to meet the performance and reliability needed to enable power generation, the flashlamp-pumped architecture currently used in NIF will need… More

nLight proposes the development of a wavelength-stabilized 5 kW, 105 m, 0.22NA fiber-coupled 976 nm diode laser pump system with a final predicted power conversion efficiency of>45% and mass-to-power ratio of<1 kg/kW. The program will leverage nLight"s wavelength-stabilized 100 W, 105 m,… More

nLIGHT proposes the development of a 10 kW power amplifier with a predicted power conversion efficiency of approximately 45%. The 10 kW power amplifier will be based on nLIGHT's high power, high efficiency, narrow-linewidth fiber coupled lasers diode modules. We will utilize custom fused fiber… More

Next generation lasers for Missile Defense ranging applications require scaling pulse brightness and repetition rates in compact and efficient packages. To address this need, nLIGHT proposes to significantly increase the pulse energy of a passively Q-switched diode pumped solid state laser while… More

To realize laser-driven inertial fusion energy with economically viable efficiency and repetition rates, pumping the laser system with semiconductor diode lasers instead of the flashlamp will be essential. Diode laser prices are currently much too high for practical implementation of fusion energy.… More

nLight proposes to suppress the key remaining output power extraction limiter COMD failure mechanism by passivating the cleaved facet of laser diodes with high bandgap semiconductor layers that is epitaxially grown in an atomically conformal manner at low temperature and in ultra-high vacuum.

nLight proposes a novel semiconductor laser device operating at ~976 nm with a spatially single mode laser that is separately addressable to generate a few hundred milliwatts of power and then subsequently amplified to>10 watts with a separate electrical contact in a larger gain area while… More

Higher power wavelength-stabilized pump sources operating in the 78x-nm to 79xnm band are expected to enable high-energy CW laser systems based on low pressure alkali gasses (such as Cs or Rb). Under the proposed program, nLight will design, demonstrate, and deliver to the MDA (or recipient of their… More

Improving efficiency as well as increasing operating temperature of laser diode pumps for high-power fiber lasers has a far-reaching implication in terms of significantly improving the overall stringent size, weight and power (SWAP) requirements, thus enabling DEW-class fiber lasers on airborne… More

nLight proposes to develop and commercialize an innovative kilo-watt class fiber laser pump combiner which is especially suited for counter-pumping architectures that is indispensable for various coherent combining techniques. The key advantages of this proposed technology over the current… More

nLIGHT will develop a novel fused fiber combiner capable of accepting standard-sized active fibers. This"over-sleeve"combiner is designed to leave the active fiber undisturbed, allowing for counter propagation pumping of the laser amplifier, while efficiently coupling multiple kilowatts of… More