Arbor Photonics gets SBIR Phase I funding for high-energy femtosecond fiber lasers

July 25, 2011
The U.S. Army has awarded an SBIR Phase I contract to Arbor Photonics to develop a compact and rugged femtosecond laser for hazardous material detection.

Ann Arbor, MI--The U.S. Army has awarded an SBIR Phase I contract to Arbor Photonics to develop a compact and rugged femtosecond laser for hazardous material detection. The company will develop an ultrafast fiber laser that emits pulses with a duration shorter than 100 fs and and energy of greater than 100 μJ.

The laser will be based on Arbor Photonics’ chirally-coupled-core (3C) optical fiber, which has an internal structure that maintains a single-spatial-mode output even when the fiber's core is very large. This allows higher-energy output, as the pulses' energy is spread out over a larger core cross-sectional area. 3C fiber has previously been used to amplify nanosecond pulses with up to 100 kW peak power, 100 W average power, and single-mode (M2 < 1.1) beam quality. “This grant will extend the use of 3C fiber to amplification in the ultrashort pulse operating regime, and, in conjunction with other novel components, will enable a laser system with performance beyond that of commercially available ultrafast lasers," says Phillip Amaya, CEO of Arbor Photonics.

The laser will help the Army achieve accurate and sensitive remote detection of hazardous materials. Arbor Photonics will also develop commercial applications for this technology.

Follow us on Twitter

Subscribe now to Laser Focus World magazine; it’s free!

About the Author

John Wallace | Senior Technical Editor (1998-2022)

John Wallace was with Laser Focus World for nearly 25 years, retiring in late June 2022. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and physics at Rutgers University and a master's in optical engineering at the University of Rochester. Before becoming an editor, John worked as an engineer at RCA, Exxon, Eastman Kodak, and GCA Corporation.

Sponsored Recommendations

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) electrode manufacturing

Jan. 31, 2025
Learn how an industry-leading Brain Computer Interface Electrode (BCI) manufacturer used precision laser micromachining to produce high-density neural microelectrode arrays.

Electro-Optic Sensor and System Performance Verification with Motion Systems

Jan. 31, 2025
To learn how to use motion control equipment for electro-optic sensor testing, click here to read our whitepaper!

How nanopositioning helped achieve fusion ignition

Jan. 31, 2025
In December 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF) achieved fusion ignition. Learn how Aerotech nanopositioning contributed to this...

Nanometer Scale Industrial Automation for Optical Device Manufacturing

Jan. 31, 2025
In optical device manufacturing, choosing automation technologies at the R&D level that are also suitable for production environments is critical to bringing new devices to market...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!