BOTHELL, Wash.—Aculight Corp. in Bothell, Wash., has introduced an eye-safe, high-power, pulsed fiber laser called the Perseus-TS for integration into military laser direction and ranging systems, otherwise known as LADAR.
Aculight presented this laser for military and aerospace applications in January at the Photonics West conference and trade show in San Jose, Calif.
“Perseus-TS is an important addition to our laser portfolio,” says Robert Afzal, Aculight vice president of research and development. “Like other Perseus lasers, it generates high-peak-power pulses at a wide choice of repetition rates with very high beam quality. But Perseus-TS was designed from the ground up as an integral solution for LADAR and other OEM systems, rather than operating as a stand-alone unit. The result is a lower profile, more efficient, and lower cost laser suitable for high-volume deployment.”
Fiber lasers are desirable for applications such as LADAR because their all-fiber design provides users with an efficient, robust, and compact laser source. Aculight’s Perseus lasers generate high-power, short pulses over a wide repetition rate range from a one-box, low-jitter source. For LADAR users, this translates into detailed, accurate, long-range images from a compact, low-maintenance package.
The Perseus-TS is available in two standard configurations, models P33L-1541 and P36L-1541. Each produces 2- to 6-nanosecond pulses at repetition rates from 20 kHz to 750 kHz with two or four watts of average power, respectively.
Maximum pulse energy is 60 micro-Joules; peak power is 20 kilowatts. The units’ 1.54-micron output is less than 1.4 times the diffraction limit. Perseus-TS lasers measure 2 by 6.3 by 5.5 inches, and weigh less than 5 pounds. Custom configurations are also available.
Aculight specializes in laser systems for national defense, aerospace, and medical applications. For more, visit Aculight at www.aculight.com.
