IP Library Patent Application 12592067
Patent Application
App. No. 12/592,067

Compact non-lethal optical disruption device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
12/592,067
Abstract

The current invention provides an optical disruptor having a laser system, a rangefinder, where the rangefinder provides a real-time distance to a target, control electronics; and dynamically-controlled output optics. The dynamically-controlled output optics are actuated by the control electronics to provide a divergence in real-time of an output of the laser system, where the real-time divergence is according to the real-time distance to the target.

Claims (25)

1 . An optical disruptor, comprising:

a. a laser system;

b. a rangefinder, wherein said rangefinder provides a real-time distance to a target;

c. control electronics; and

d. dynamically-controlled output optics, wherein said dynamically-controlled output optics are actuated by said control electronics to provide a divergence in real-time of an output of said laser system, wherein said real-time divergence is according to said real-time distance to said target.

2 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said laser system comprises at least two wavelength-stabilized pump laser diodes having laser diode outputs directed through free-space delivery optics to pump a solid-state laser medium to generate said laser system output.

3 . The optical disruptor of claim 2 , wherein said free-space delivery optics comprise a birefringent crystal, wherein said birefringent crystal receives a first pump beam along an axis of said laser system output and receives a second pump beam parallel to said first pump beam, wherein said first pump beam comprises a first polarization and said second pump beam comprises a second polarization, wherein said second polarization is disposed to converge said second pump beam to said first pump beam as said pump beams traverse said birefringent crystal.

4 . The optical disruptor of claim 3 , wherein said birefringent crystal is selected from the group consisting of calcite, YVO 4 (vanadate), crystalline quartz, and LiNbO 3 (lithium niobate), MgF 2 , sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ), and zircon (ZrSiO 4 ).

5 . The optical disruptor of claim 3 further comprises an optical retarder, wherein said optical retarder is disposed along a beam path of said second diode pump laser and between said second diode pump laser and said birefringent crystal.

6 . The optical disruptor of claim 3 further comprises a first converging lens disposed between said first diode pump laser and said birefringent crystal and a second converging lens disposed between said second diode pump laser and said birefringent crystal.

7 . The optical disruptor of claim 3 further comprises a converging lens disposed between said birefringent crystal and said solid-state laser medium.

8 . The optical disruptor of claim 2 , wherein said free-space delivery optics comprise a polarizing beam splitter, wherein said polarizing beam splitter receives a first pump beam along an axis of said solid-state laser medium and receives a second pump beam at an angle normal to said solid-state laser medium, wherein said first pump beam comprises a first polarization and said second pump beam comprises a second polarization.

9 . The optical disruptor of claim 8 , wherein a first converging lens is disposed between said first diode pump laser and said polarizing beam splitter and a second converging lens is disposed between said second diode pump laser and said polarizing beam splitter.

10 . The optical disruptor of claim 2 , wherein said free-space delivery optics comprise a first converging lens disposed in a beam path of a first said diode pump laser, a second converging lens disposed in a beam path of a second said diode pump laser, a third converging lens disposed between said converging lenses and said solid-state laser medium and disposed between said second converging lens and said solid state laser medium.

11 . The optical disruptor of claim 2 , wherein said free-space delivery optics comprise a first converging lens disposed along a beam path of a first said diode pump laser and between said first diode pump laser and said solid-state laser medium, and further comprising a second converging lens disposed along a beam path of a second said diode pump laser and between said second diode pump laser and said solid-state laser medium, wherein said first diode pump laser beam path is disposed normal to said solid-state laser medium and said second diode pump laser beam path is disposed normal to said solid-state laser medium.

12 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said dynamically-controlled output optics comprise at least one electrically-variable or liquid lens, wherein said electrically-variable or liquid lens adjusts said divergence of said laser system output.

13 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said controller electronics comprise a switching buck regulator, and a switching current source and temperature switching circuit.

14 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said control electronics comprises an optical output regulator.

15 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said optical disruptor is battery-powered.

16 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said solid-state laser medium is selected from the group consisting of Nd:YVO 4 (vanadate), Nd:YAG, Yb:YAG, Yb:glass, Er:glass, Nd:YLF, ND:GGG, and Nd:YGdO 4 .

17 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein an output from said solid-state laser medium is frequency multiplied using a frequency multiplying medium selected from the group consisting of KTP, KTA, KDP, KD*P, LN, LT, BBO, BIBO, cPPLN, sPPLN, cPPLT, and sPPLT or any of their Mg-doped equivalents.

18 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said laser system output is a pulsed mode or a continuous-wave mode.

19 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said laser system comprises an operating temperature over a range of −20° C. to 60° C.

20 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein current is provided to at least one said pump laser diode at all times during operation of said laser system.

21 . The optical disruptor of claim 1 , wherein said pump laser diodes are controlled according to a condition of said laser system output, wherein said laser output condition is sampled and fed back to said controller by an optical sampler and feedback loop.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2013
From: SQUARE 1 BANK
To: ALFALIGHT, INC.
Reel/Frame 030089/0722 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 6, 2011
From: ALFALIGHT, INC.
To: SQUARE 1 BANK
Reel/Frame 026081/0641 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2010
From: WILLIAMSON, ROBERT S. III; SHULTS, MARK C.; KLOS, THOMAS M.; BARTON, DAVID G.; LU, YAJUN
To: ALFALIGHT, INC.
Reel/Frame 023967/0059 →