Incoherent Combining of High-Power Fiber Lasers for Directed-Energy Applications
Abstract
High-power fiber lasers can be incoherently combined to form the basis of a directed high-energy laser system. This approach has a number of advantages over other beam combining methods and can result in compact, robust, low maintenance and long-lifetime high-energy laser systems. The first field demonstration of incoherent beam combining using kilowatt-class, single-mode fiber lasers over a kilometer propagation range is discussed. The experiment employed four fiber lasers and a beam director consisting of individually controlled steering mirrors. Propagation efficiencies greater than 90% at power levels of 3 kilowatts were demonstrated at a range greater than 1 kilometer.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 16, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA477956
Entities
People
- Antonio Ting
- Bahman Hafizi
- Joseph R. Peñano
- Phillip A. Sprangle
- Richard Fischer
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory