Katherine Ellie Snell

US Patent:

20130230062, Sep 5, 2013

Filed:

Jul 18, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/885488

Inventors:

John C. McCarthy - Newmarket NH, US
KAtherine J. Snell - Nashua NH, US
Christopher A. Miller - Mont Vernon NH, US

Assignee:

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. - Nashua NH

International Classification:

H01S 3/11

US Classification:

372 10

Abstract:

A compact, lightweight, laser target designator uses a TIR bounce geometry to place an end-pumped gain element functionally in the center of the resonator path, thereby allowing the resonator path to be terminated by a pair of crossed Porro prisms, so that the designator produces a high quality beam that is insensitive to alignment and temperature, and is low in manufacturing cost. Some embodiments fold the Porro legs of the resonator path back toward the gain element for compactness. Embodiments use a single gain element as both an oscillator gain element with TIR and as an output amplifier gain element without TIR. Various embodiments use block optical elements in a planar layout on a standard support medium such as aluminum to facilitate automated manufacturing.