January 14, 2008, Princeton, NJ--Laser Energetics has received a contract worth $481,268 from ITT Corporation for a laser demonstration of an all-solid-state frequency-tripled alexandrite laser using Laser Energetics' proprietary BrightStar technology. This contract is in support of the U.S. Army's initiative to develop an all solid-state laser for the next generation of chemical warfare agent sensor currently being developed by ITT.
The contract follows the Army's selection of Laser Energetics' BrightStar as the laser technology of choice for this remote sensing of chemical warfare agents. The technology was selected by a government panel following the panel's evaluation of 20 different competing laser technologies from 18 laser companies. The panel's evaluation and decision was made in part by Laser Energetics' report on this all solid-state alexandrite laser and the technical advantages of this tunable laser technology over other lasers.
According to the company, BrightStar lasers are designed to provide high pulse repetition rates and output powers with excellent beam characteristics. Laser Energetics has developed an efficient single lamp pump chamber that uniformly excites the laser rod. The pump chamber allows high temperature operation and provides efficient uniform illumination of the laser rod. The heat exchanger has plenty of capacity to maintain tight temperature control even under the highest power loadings.