A compact laser target designator

S. T. Lee; M. Silver; A. Barron; A. Borthwick; G. Morton; I. McRae; M. Coghill; C. Smith; C. Scouler; G. Gardiner; N. Imlach; C. McNeill; D. McSporran; D. Rodgers; D. Kerr; W. Alexander

doi:10.1117/12.2222989

13 May 2016 A compact laser target designator

S. T. Lee, M. Silver, A. Barron, A. Borthwick, G. Morton, I. McRae, M. Coghill, C. Smith, C. Scouler, G. Gardiner, N. Imlach, C. McNeill, D. McSporran, D. Rodgers, D. Kerr, W. Alexander

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 9834, Laser Technology for Defense and Security XII; 98340Q (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2222989
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2016, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

Lasers intended for application to man-portable and hand-held laser target designators are subject to significant constraints on size, weight, power consumption and cost. These constraints must be met while maintaining adequate performance across a challenging environmental specification. One of the challenges of operating a Nd³⁺:YAG laser over a broad ambient temperature range is that of diode-pump-tuning. This system is specified to operate over an ambient temperature range of –46°C to +71°C, and the system electrical power consumption requirements preclude active temperature control. As a result the laser must tolerate a 32.8nm pump wavelength range. The optical absorption of Nd³⁺:YAG varies dramatically over this wavelength range. This paper presents a laser that minimizes the effect of this change on laser output. A folded U-shaped geometry laser resonator is presented, made up of a corner cube at one end and a plane mirror substrate at the other. The action of the corner cube coupled with this configuration of end mirrors results in a resonator that is significantly less sensitive to misalignment of the end mirror and/or the corner cube. This Ushaped resonator is then further folded to fit the laser into a smaller volume. Insensitivity of this compact folded resonator to mirror misalignments was analyzed in Zemax via a Monte-Carlo analysis and the results of this analysis are presented. The resulting laser output energy, pulse duration and beam quality of this athermally pumped, misalignment insensitive folded laser resonator are presented over an ambient temperature range of –46°C to +71°C.

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S. T. Lee, M. Silver, A. Barron, A. Borthwick, G. Morton, I. McRae, M. Coghill, C. Smith, C. Scouler, G. Gardiner, N. Imlach, C. McNeill, D. McSporran, D. Rodgers, D. Kerr, and W. Alexander "A compact laser target designator", Proc. SPIE 9834, Laser Technology for Defense and Security XII, 98340Q (13 May 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2222989

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KEYWORDS

Resonators

Mirrors

Laser resonators

Laser development

Target designation

Absorption

Pulsed laser operation

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