Projects
The third-generation FASOR design shown outside of its enclosure and without covers on the laser optical modules. This design is capable of power operation in excess of 50 watts, and is gravity-vector invariant for use while mounted anywhere on the telescope.
50 Watt Facility-Class Sodium Guidestar Laser System for the European Southern Observatory
- October 2008 - January 2010: Preliminary Design for the European Southern Observatory's 4LGSF VLT Telescope at Paranal, Chile
FASORtronics completed a preliminary design for ESO's planned 4-laser guide star facility (4LGSF) at Paranal, Chile. The contract was begun in October 2008 and completed in January 2010. Our preliminary design for a 50 watt dual-frequency sodium guidestar laser system met all requirements for long-term observatory use and exceeded the specified power requirements by a factor of 2x, while satisfying more than 220 other design specifications. The laser system design was fully validated for operation in any orientation relative to gravity, and other demanding requirements for safety, reliability, and serviceability.
R&D test setup for a fiber-coupled pump prototype laser engine.Risk Reduction for Sodium Guidestar Laser Development for the USA Consortium of Observatories
- January 2009 - January 2010: Laboratory R&D and prototype testing for W. M. Keck Observatory
Highlights from the set of risk-reduction experiments that were completed included the construction of a 27 watt 1319-nm laser used in testing a commercial phase modulator, and a fiber delivered diode-laser-pumped engine. Partners included the Stanford University's Ginzton Laboratory.
The fully-automated first-generation FASOR, originally developed in 2001 and still working at 15 watts in 2011.Automation Upgrade of an Existing Guidestar Laser System for the Steward Observatory
- April 2010 - July 2011: Laser Automation for the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory
Delivery of the automated guidestar laser for use at the University of Arizona was completed in July. FASORtronics will first install the system in a university laboratory for test, evaluation, and training before its installation at the MMT telescope. The laser system uses all of the optical and laser components from the original FASOR prototype 20-watt laser that two of our founders built for the US Air Force in 2001. This prototype system was generously loaned by the US Air Force to the University of Arizona through an Educational Partnership Agreement. After 10 years, the laser is still capable of performing as it was originally designed; however, now it can be remotely operated and remotely aligned for optimal performance.
Naval concept for remote laser magnetometry in the mesosphere.Laser Remote Magnetometry by Sensor Virtualization in the Mesosphere for the US Navy
- June 2011 - Present: Investigate a laser-based technique for magnetic field sensing at a mesospheric altitude for the US Navy
Because submarines are a critical threat, knowledge of the magnetic fields over the oceans is an important component of situational awareness for the Navy. Magnetic sensors on aircraft contribute to the detection and tracking of submarines. Two limitations on aircraft-based sensors are: first, the aircraft must be in the right location to detect the submarine; and second, the sensitivity of detection is limited by background fluctuations in the earth's geomagnetic field.
In this work for the Navy, we investigate a laser-based technique for magnetic field sensing that could quickly interrogate the magnetic field at designated points within a region of radius approximately 180 km surrounding a ship-based or aircraft-based laser transmitter-receiver system. This technology would be complementary to local field sensing. Advantages are near-instantaneous scanning at long range and low cost. Disadvantages include lower spatial resolution, reduced sensitivity, and a lack of all-weather capability (unless it is aircraft-based above the weather).
The goal of this project is remote measurement of magnetic fields, at a range of 100-200 km. The actual magnetic field sensors are naturally occurring sodium atoms. A 10-km-thick layer in the mesosphere, at an altitude of 90 km, contains a significant number of these atoms, the residue of meteors. A precisely tuned laser can create a strong fluorescent return from these atoms. When the laser is pulsed or frequency-modulated at a frequency of a few hundred kHz, there is a sharp resonance in the strength of the return signal. The frequency of this resonance is proportional to the amplitude of the magnetic field at the atoms.