Posted on 01/08/2010 10:52:39 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
U.S. scientists say they have achieved a breakthrough in quantum cascade laser output power, delivering 120 watts from a single device at room temperature. The Northwestern University researchers, led by Professor Manijeh Razeghi, said their accomplishment is particularly attractive for infrared countermeasures -- a way of misguiding incoming missiles to protect commercial and military aircraft.
Unlike conventional interband semiconductor lasers, the scientists said their quantum cascade laser is an intersubband device requiring only electrons to operate.
Razeghi's team demonstrated the ridge width of a broad-area quantum cascade laser can be increased up to 400 microns, without suffering from filiamentation -- a phenomenon that limits the ridge width of conventional broad-area semiconductor lasers. As a result, the scientists said room temperature peak output power as high as 120 watts was obtained from a single device, which is up from 34 watts only a year ago.
The complex research appears in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
This is pretty impressive - and dangerous. IR reflects off of things you don’t usually think would reflect “light”. With this kind of power, you could definitely set things on fire (including people) at a pretty good distance.
"We had 'em out there all stepin 'n' fetchin'
Like their hair was on fire and their asses was ketchin...."
Yeah, but, will it cook my eggs and bacon in 5 seconds flat ?
I’ve played with 25 watt IR lasers, but they were arrays and the output was fiber optic. Still quite impressive...
The F-35 fighter has been designed to receive a 100 KiloWatt laser...when one becomes available.
Interesting, but no mention of power requirement, pulse duration or repeat firing longevity of device.
You're right... And how well can they be ganged together??? (fed from a common exciter, kept in phase, focused, etc.) Also, how big are they, what are their cooling requirements (efficiency) etc...
In other words, is this an interesting lab trick/feat, or is this something with real potential?
Manijeh’s name sounds like a Persian/Iranian American.
Not to worry. There are (and have been for years) CO2 gas lasers that are capable of delivering thousands of watts. I found I blurb for an Air Force laser capable of continuous 150,000 watts. I haven't seen them used to "set things on fire (including people)"---but they are quite useful in cutting and welding things with exquisite accuracy and precision.
Sounds like a good candidate for weapons integration on the Osprey, a high speed mirror able to fire laser bursts across a wide area faster than a rotary cannon for fire suppression for troop landings and exits.
breakthrough in quantum cascade laser output powerThanks sonofstrangelove.
SUch devices typically can be made to have very long lifetimes.
Such high powers from a single device is an impressive achievement. Bars of semiconductor lasers have achieved higher powers, but they are made up of many single devices. It would be good to get the wavelength as short as possible, but they do not mention the operating wavelength.
Cool stuff!
If they can make a laser that can fire rapidly and a good targeting system, that would be devastating. If it sees you... you’re hit.
The laser is the searchlight-looking thing on the platform: uses a liquid fuel, not electricity, to power it. Destroys the missile by a combination of thermal shock and physical energy (blast) damage.
The version I worked on wasn't “portable” like a truck-mounted or airborne unit would be (the airborne version is in the nose of airliner conversation) because it needed several containers of equipment, fuel tanks, and aiming gear, but it could protect a city or base camp.
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