Boeing has been developing solid state lasers for high energy applications since 2004 using Yb:YAG thin disk lasers as
pioneered by A. Giesen1 and commercialized by Trumpf Laser GmbH.2 In this paper, we report results of our second generation design and status of a third generation we are currently developing, which will produce 35 kW and a beam
quality <2.
The ability to extract target features from a ladar Range Resolved Doppler Image (RRDI) can enable target detection, identification, discrimination, and status assessment. Extraction of these features depends on the image processing algorithms, target characteristics, and image quality. The latter in turn depends on ladar transmitter and receiver characteristics, propagation effects, target/beam interactions, and receiver signal processing. In order to develop hardware systems and processing algorithms for a specific application, it is necessary to understand how these factors interact. A modular, high fidelity ladar simulation has been developed which provides modeling of each step from transmitter, through feature extraction.
The interaction of an Excimer laser with an aluminum surface was studied by a characterization of the blowoff plasma
plume. The SDIOIMLI Two-Meter Laser, operating at XeF and KrF wavelengths, was used to illuminate mm sized spots
on aluminum targets at fluences of 400 - 1250 J/cm2 for 1 .8 ps. The resultant plasma was characterized by numerous
techniques. The temperature of the plasma as a function of distance out in the plume was measured by both a modified line
reversal technique and spectral methods. The absolute ion density was measured as a function of distance out in the plume
by a laser absorption technique. The temperature in the blowoff plasma plume was found to be relatively constant, dropping
by approximately 50% in 1 cm. The density, however, fell by an order of magnitude in the same distance. The measured
results agree with predictions from the 2-D Hydrocode STREAK.
A 5 microsec e-beam pumped XeF laser is described. Low concentrations of xenon and fluorine donor (NF3 or F2) were required to reduce losses for long-pulse operation at low (27 kW/cc) pump rates. Better performance was obtained using NF3 as the fluorine donor. The intrinsic efficiency was found to be flat over the laser pulse length, and averaged 1.1 percent. The laser output consisted of only the 353 nm line. A Rigrod treatment yielded a net gain 0.5 percent/cm.
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