TRW Completes, Delivers Record-Setting Solid-State Laser
15 June 1999
TRW Completes, Delivers Record-Setting Solid-State Laser
REDONDO BEACH, Calif.--June 15, 1999--TRW has delivered and installed at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Chesapeake Bay Detachment, Chesapeake Beach, Md., a record-setting, solid-state laser brassboard that demonstrates several technologies required for next-generation electronic warfare systems.It is the latest in a series of solid-state lasers that TRW has produced to meet critical, high-performance requirements for its Department of Defense and commercial customers.
TRW developed the new laser, known as the DARPA/Tri-Service Mid IR II Laser, with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In laboratory testing at TRW's Space Park complex in Redondo Beach, it has been shown to produce 20 watts of output power at mid-infrared wavelengths (3.7-4.9 microns), about four times higher than the previous record for output power by a laser of this type in this spectral range. It also features excellent beam quality and a pulse repetition frequency of 20 kilohertz.
"By generating record output power and beam quality with a single mid-IR laser, TRW has demonstrated that it's now possible to build solid-state lasers that can meet the performance requirements of next-generation surface ship protection systems," said Dr. Paul Mak, manager of NRL's Mid-IR II program. "This mid-IR technology could likely be transitioned, for example, into Navy programs such as the Advanced Integrated Electronic Warfare System (AIEWS)."
NRL plans to evaluate the laser's performance during an upcoming series of field tests, added Mak. The tests will be conducted at ranges that are representative of the missions for which the laser is being developed.
"The development of DARPA's Mid-IR II Laser is another example of TRW's leadership in using solid-state lasers to meet the Department of Defense's most demanding requirements," said John Waypa, manager of the laser directorate within TRW's Space & Laser Programs Division. "It also provides evidence that TRW solid-state lasers offer the armed services a mature and compelling technology for next-generation aircraft and ship self-protection systems."
The DARPA/Tri-Service Mid-IR II laser is a diode-pumped, solid-state, neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd: YAG) laser. It uses a series of optical parametric oscillators to achieve its final output lasing wavelengths. The laser is based on more than a decade of TRW experience developing solid-state lasers and related technologies.
In recent months, TRW has delivered or completed the development of diode-pumped, solid-state lasers for a variety of commercial and military applications. In March, for example, the company delivered a 1.7 kilowatt Nd: YAG laser to the Intel-led Extreme Ultraviolet Limited Liability Co. (EUV LLC). That laser, the first one produced for a next-generation lithography process called extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, enables the development of a new type of EUV light source for manufacturers of wafer handling equipment. The EUV light source will allow chip manufacturers to keep up with world demand for smaller and faster microcircuits for the next 10 to 15 years.
In early April, TRW completed the development of a new company-funded, solid-state laser test bed called the Infra-Red Experimental Source, or IRES. It will allow the Air Force to validate the design and performance of key laser components planned for the Airborne Laser system -- nearly two years in advance of their required production date.
And in late April, as head of DARPA's Precision Laser Machining (PLM) consortium, TRW delivered a 500-watt, diode-pumped solid-state industrial laser to the University of Michigan's Center for Laser-Aided Intelligent Manufacturing. The university's School of Engineering is using the PLM laser to develop next-generation drilling and welding techniques for automotive applications.
TRW has been engaged in laser research and development since 1961. The company produces solid-state lasers for defense and industrial applications, and designs and develops a variety of high-energy chemical lasers for space, ground and airborne applications. These chemical lasers include hydrogen fluoride, deuterium fluoride and chemical oxygen iodine lasers.
With headquarters in Cleveland, TRW Inc. provides advanced technology products and services for the global automotive, aerospace and information systems markets. Its 1998 sales totaled approximately $12 billion.