LARGE ARRAYS OF MICROLASERS FOR FAR AND NEAR-FIELD IMAGING AND LIDAR IN THE INFRARED, VISIBLE, AND ULTRAVIOLET
Abstract
The proposed AFOSR program will develop and apply a hybrid laser resonator, developedat the University of Illinois, to LIDAR and other optical imaging systems. The overriding goal ofthis research effort is to develop new imaging tools for the Air Force. Capable of producinghundreds or thousands of microlaser beams simultaneously from an aperture of modestdimensions, this new resonator produces composite beams (beam “bundles”) that are essentiallyspeckle-free and, therefore, ideal for improving the spatial and temporal resolution of LIDAR andimaging systems in both the far- and near-field. Experiments are proposed that will correlate theproperties of the new hybrid oscillator (characteristics such as the number of microlaser beamsand the near-field intensity distribution) with the “down range” spatial and temporal resolution ofa LIDAR system incorporating this resonator. The compact structure of the resonator also allowsfor multiple oscillators to operate simultaneously, or in a time-multiplexed fashion, thus permittingmeasurements to be made at two or more wavelengths in the UV and IR spectral regions.Experiments exploring the utility of the resonator as the light source in biomedical diagnosticmicroscopes (i.e., near-field imaging) are also proposed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 11, 2018
- Source ID
- FA95501810380
Entities
People
- J. G. Eden
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign