TeraDiode, Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: There is a compelling need for multi-spectral direct diode lasers for defense and commerci

Description

There is a compelling need for multi-spectral direct diode lasers for defense and commercial applications. Applications include target illumination and detection, terrain/object/building mapping, construction, surveillance, industrial process control, and free-space optical communications. Existing, commercially available direct diode lasers have some of the most desirable attributes: highest efficiency, greatest compactness (small size, weight, and power or SWaP), and wavelength selectability from the UV to the mid-IR bands. The main disadvantage is poor output beam quality. TeraDiode"s technology of Wavelength Beam Combination (WBC) effectively solves the poor output beam quality problem of direct diode lasers. Using WBC technology, TeraDiode will be able to build a multi-band diode laser module that satisfies or exceeds 100% of the Navy requirements for this program. TeraDiode"s technical approach is scalable to much higher power and beam quality, up to multiple kWs of power if required for the application.