Military, industrial, and medical applications have expressed interest in using ~1550nm laser diodes as efficient laser sources for reduced eye safety concerns, especially where free-space propagation is concerned. In addition, covert military applications, including pointers and illuminators, benefit from the spectral insensitivity of common sensor types to ~1.5um wavelengths. While more efficient than other sources, high-power broad-area laser diodes can sometimes require complex packaging and beam shaping/combining optics in order to meet requirements for brightness, uniformity, stray light, and environmental insensitivity. This paper will highlight and discuss a range of developments exploring laser diode components near 1.5um for free-space military applications, including broadarea high-power illuminators and highly-collimated pointers. Options for tailored beam conditioning and performance results will also be presented.

Date Published: 1 May 2017
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 10192, Laser Technology for Defense and Security XIII, 101920H (1 May 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2262721

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10192:
Laser Technology for Defense and Security XIII
Mark Dubinskii; Stephen G. Post, Editor(s)