Compact Multi-Watt 2 to 2.13um Holmium Doped Fiber Laser Transmitter for Space

This proposal addresses the NASA's need for innovative multi Watt (1W &5W) polarization maintaining (PM) fiber amplifier and laser transmitter modules in the 2 micron atmospheric transmission window band, and in particular at the 2051nm wavelength. Our OEM modules besides being compact, lightweight, power efficient and rugged, will integrate optics, electronics and electrical & computer control interfaces. Such features will make it an ideal product for integration in future NASA airborne or space systems. The design of amplifier or laser will use a novel PM single clad Holmium doped fiber (HDF) that offers a broad (150nm ) wavelength emission band (i.e. 2000 to 2150nm), an excellent optical efficiency (75%) and a combination of attractive performance, such as large gain (40dB) and dynamic range (>30dB). We will demonstrate both 1W & 5W laser transmitters at 2051nm into our compact 1W-MAKO OEM (97x78x15mm3) and a 5W-SKYLINE OEM (200x150x43mm3), and fully evaluate their performance, first in a CW mode and next in a ns regime -10 to100 kHz pulse repetition frequency. This innovation will pave the way in the use of this PM HDF transmitter modules as building blocks for more complex amplifier topologies and diverse emission wavelengths.

The 2 to 2.13 micron broad band 1 to 5 W polarization maintaining single clad HDF laser transmitter OEM modules will be important tools for NASA remote sensing and LIDAR applications, particularly for the monitoring of CO2 concentration at the 2051nm wavelength. Whether in CW or pulse mode, this eye safe, small foot print, light weight, power efficient and reliable OEM modules will find their place in diverse airborne NASA missions, from LIDAR to high bit rate free space transmitters.

Our broadband Holmium PM OEM laser transmitters, which overlap the atmospheric transparency window, will become the building blocks for PM devices. Mostly their combined features of large input dynamic range and high signal gain of these modules will enable the generation of complex pulsed lasers from coherent Lidar for Doppler measurements to ps-ns pulsed sources for optical non-linear processes.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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