Nd:YAG Laser Produces 20 W in Mid-IR; TRW Delivers to Military

Engineers at TRW (Redondo Beach, CA) have developed a mid-infrared (IR) laser capable of producing up to 20 W of output over the spectral range from 3.7 to 4.9 µm. Based on a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser coupled to a pair of optical parametric oscillators, the system operates at 20 kHz, with good beam quality.

TRW developed the new laser, known as the DARPA/Tri-Service Mid IR II Laser, with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).The company delivered the laser for the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Chesapeake Bay Detachment (Chesapeake Beach, MD), where it will be used to develop next-generation electronic warfare systems. NRL plans to evaluate the laser's performance during an upcoming series of field tests