Propogation of the 1(mu) High-Power Beam from a Solid-State Heat-Capacity Laser

Abstract

A solid-state laser system, used as a directed energy defensive weapon, possesses many compelling logistical advantages over high-average-power chemical laser systems. As an electrically-powered laser, it uses no chemicals, generates no effluents, and requires no specialized logistics support--the laser is recharged by running the vehicle engine. It provides stealth, having low signature operation without the generation of temperature, smoke, or visible light. It is silent in operation, limited only by the onboard vehicle electrical charging and propulsion system. Using the heat-capacity mode of operation, scaling of average power from a solid-state laser has been demonstrated beyond 10kW and work in progress will result in the demonstration of a 100 kW solid-state heat-capacity laser (SSHCL). The heat-capacity approach provides unprecedented power-to-weight ratios in a compact platform that is readily adapted to mobile operation. A conceptual engineering and packaging study has resulted in a 100kW SSHCL design that we believe can be integrated onto a hybrid-electric HMMWV or onto new vehicle designs emerging from the future combat system (FCS) development. 100 kW has been proposed as a power level that demonstrates a significant scaling beyond what has been demonstrated for a solid-state laser system and which could have a significant lethality againstmore » target sets of interest. However, the characteristics of heat-capacity laser scaling are such that designs with output powers in excess of 1 MW can be readily formulated. An important question when addressing the military utility of a high-power solid-state laser system is that of the required average power during engagement with a target. The answer to this question is complex, involving atmospheric propagation, beam interaction with the target, and the damage response of the target. Successful target shoot-downs with the THEL deuterium fluoride (DF) laser system provide what is probably the best understanding of power requirements for a directed energy weapon against many threats of interest. In this paper, we discuss the pertinent parameters that affect the propagation of a high average power laser beam to target and examine how these parameters compare at the 1.06 and 3.8{micro}m wavelengths of the SSHCL and DF laser systems. The result of the analysis presented here suggests that a 100 kW solid-state laser could share the effectiveness of a DF laser having 2-3X the average output power, providing very favorable projections for the utility of a 100 kW mobile SSHCL.« less