Abstract: A spherical laser includes a transparent or semi-transparent outer spherical vessel having an internal cavity, an amplifying medium in the cavity, and means to excite the amplifying medium. The sphere is provided with a partially reflective coating to act as a spherical optical resonator. Excitation of the amplifying medium produces an optical gain. When the gain exceeds cavity losses and threshold conditions are met, lasing is supported. This creates a three-dimensional, spherically radiating emission, emulating a point source. The output is radially diverging, but is harnessed by enclosing the sphere within a mirrored ellipse to image the output to a point, or within a mirrored parabola to columinate the emission. A concentric, reflective inner sphere may be disposed in the cavity, with the amplifying medium lying between the two spheres. A voltage potential is applied between the spheres to excite the medium.

Abstract: A continuous wave photolytic iodine laser has a gain cell for receiving a continuous supply of gaseous fuel. The gain cell is connected to laser beam transfer optics, a laser resonator for shaping a laser beam, and a lamp. The lamp is driven by a microwave subsystem such that a laser gain medium is pumped through the gain cell. The continuous wave photolytic iodine laser of the present invention incorporates a closed loop fuel system for presenting gaseous fuel to the gain cell at a rate sufficient to sweep any lasing by-products out of the gain cell, thereby preventing quenching of the lasing process. The fuel system also includes a condenser for converting the gaseous fuel to a liquid after it has passed through the gain cell, a scrubber for removing the by-products of the lasing process from the fuel, and an evaporator for converting the recycled liquefied fuel back to a gas. The closed loop fuel system also includes a pump for pressurizing and transporting the liquefied fuel.

Abstract: A continuous wave photolytic iodine laser has a gain cell for receiving a continuous supply of gaseous fuel. The gain cell is connected to laser beam transfer optics, a laser resonator for shaping a laser beam, and a lamp. The lamp is driven by a microwave subsystem such that a laser gain medium is pumped through the gain cell. The continuous wave photolytic iodine laser of the present invention incorporates a closed loop fuel system for presenting gaseous fuel to the gain cell at a rate sufficient to sweep any lasing by-products out of the gain cell, thereby preventing quenching of the lasing process. The fuel system also includes a condenser for converting the gaseous fuel to a liquid after it has passed through the gain cell, a scrubber for removing the by-products of the lasing process from the fuel, and an evaporator for converting the recycled liquefied fuel back to a gas. The closed loop fuel system also includes a pump for pressurizing and transporting the liquefied fuel.

Abstract: An unstable laser resonator is controlled in polarization by the use of a control leg coupled to the parent resonator and having a polarization control element therein, so that control of a low power beam in said control leg serves to control the polarization of the parent resonator.

Abstract: A laser with an unstable resonator configuration is described with a second, lower power auxiliary laser to provide a feedback beam to pulse high power CW lasers without exceeding the power handling capability limitation of currently available modulators. The present laser relies on adjoint mode feedback provided by the auxiliary laser to accomplish pulsed operation with a modulator in the low power feedback beam path. Higher power output beams can be generated with multiple stages of auxiliary laser providing adjoint mode feedback, thereby reducing incident power on modulation devices while providing adequate adjoint beam power to effectively pulse the high power laser. In certain embodiments a single gain generator is used to drive the main and auxiliary lasers.

Abstract: A broadband optical limiter for use in combination with a sensor system is operative to prevent irradiation of the sensor system by laser radiation of unknown wavelengths having intensity levels sufficient to damage or disable the sensor system. The broadband optical limiter is further operative to throughput, with minimal optical distortion at wide angle fields of view, electromagnetic radiation in the operating spectral band(s) of the sensor system. The broadband optical limiter includes a flat or spherically shaped sacrificial mirror that is operative to reflect electromagnetic radiation in the operating spectral band(s) of the sensor system and to be optically machined, i.e., vaporized, by focused laser radiation of unknown wavelengths having intensity levels sufficient to damage or disable the sensor system to create a reflective dead spot. The reflective dead spot prevents the focused laser radiation from being throughputted to the sensor system.