1. High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL-JTO) Recent Developments and Current Projects in HEL Technology
October 9th 2013
Distribution A, Cleared for Public Release, 377ABW , 17 August 2010

2. Approved for Public Release
Outline
Introduction to HEL-JTO
JTO Technology Thrusts
JTO Accelerator projects
These are the topic areas that I will be covering today.
Approved for Public Release

3. A Coordinated Approach for HEL Weapons System Development
HEL-JTO Formation
FY00 National Defense Authorization Act request to develop laser plan
FY00 High Energy Laser Executive Review Panel chartered
JTO Charter:
Advocate HEL technology development for DoD
Coordinate among the Services and Agencies
Develop technology investment strategy for DoD
Manage a portfolio of government/industry/academia R&D projects
A Coordinated Approach for
HEL Weapons System Development
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4. Operational Oversight
HEL-JTO Organization
ASD (R&E)
Operational Oversight
Technology Council S&T Executives
(Army, Navy, AF,
MDA, DARPA, DTRA)
Air Force S&T
Executive
Admin
Oversight
Director &
Deputy Director
Contractor Technical and Administrative Support
AFRL/RD Support
Contracting
Financial
Public Affairs
Security
Executive
Assistant
Budget/Finance
This is the JTO organization chart. The JTO was devolved to the AF beginning in FY The MOA that was prepared between the DoD, the AF and the other services has the JTO continuing to report to DUSD (S&T) for functional oversight but receives operation and administration oversight from the AF. As part of the devolvement the JTO Director was moved from an IPA slot under DUSD(S&T) to a DP-IV (GS-15 equivalent). The incumbent IPA continued to serve through June of 2005 and the announcement of the new director is forthcoming.
Army
Representative
Navy
Representative
Air Force
Representative
MDA
DARPA
Tech Area,
Contracts Monitor
Tech Area,
Contracts Monitor
Tech Area,
Contracts Monitor
Technology Area Working Groups
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5. HEL-JTO Technology Thrust Area
Diode Pump
Laser Devices
Solid State
Gas
Free Electron
Beam Control
Atmospheric Propagation
Thermal Blooming
Turbulence
Effects
Laser-Target Interaction
Heat
Heat
Beam Combining
Pointing
Thermal Management
Target
Beam Conditioning
& Adaptive Optics
This is the JTO organization chart. The JTO was devolved to the AF beginning in FY The MOA that was prepared between the DoD, the AF and the other services has the JTO continuing to report to DUSD (S&T) for functional oversight but receives operation and administration oversight from the AF. As part of the devolvement the JTO Director was moved from an IPA slot under DUSD(S&T) to a DP-IV (GS-15 equivalent).
Heat
Wavefront Sensor
Windows &
Mirrors
Power Conditioning
Diode Pump
Illuminator
Advanced Concepts
Fire Control
Example: Solid State Laser
Engagement & System Modeling
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6. HEL-JTO Electric Laser Technology
High power fibers
Beam combining techniques
High Power Fiber Components
Er-doped PCF High Power Laser Fiber
Dielectric Edge Mirrors (DEMs)
Beam Combiner
Stacked
Oscillators
This chart represents the state-of-the art for electric laser technology. Currently the HEL JTO has ongoing efforts in fibers advancements, revolutionary beam combining techniques and component maturation that will allow an electric laser weapon to be incorporated into the battlefield.
Fiber
Fusion Spliced All-Fiber Isolator
Approved for Public Release

7. HEL-JTO Electric Laser Technology
Ceramic gain materials
Eye safer wavelength (slabs and fibers)
Efficient and High Temperature diode arrays
Transform lens
Horizontal
diode stack
(3-bar)
Output
coupler
grating
Here again are promising areas that the JTO is funding. By putting a laser on the battlefield, we must ensure that the safety of our service men and women is paramount. An extensive amount of research and development is ongoing in eye safer wavelength technology to ensure the safety of our own.
VCSEL Array assembled on Patterned Surface Composite Heat Spreader
Wavelength Beam Combining of Diode Bars
10%Yb:Lu2O3 ceramic
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8. Solid State Laser Thrust
SSL State-of-the-Art: (TRL 4 - 5)
Efficient diode arrays – 50%=>70% diodes available
High power fibers > 500W/fiber—combinable to KW’s
Ceramic Slabs – 100KW at 18% wallplug efficiency
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9. Approved for Public Release
Gas Laser Thrust
ATL: KW-Class Sealed Exhaust COIL for Tactical Applications
Field Demonstrations Complete
ABL: MW-Class COIL for Strategic Applications
Field Demonstrations Completed
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10. Approved for Public Release
Beam Control Thrust
BC State-of-the-Art: (TRL 6)
Disturbances
Atmospheric propagation Characterized to 100’s KM
Optical Components
Windows/Coatings for KW/cm2 power levels
Aimpoint Maintenance
Precision tracking
Jitter control
Platform-dependent
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11. Advanced Concepts Thrust
Novel Concept Exploration
Too “Risky” for Other Thrusts
Includes: USPL, Materials, Beam Combination
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12. JTO Thrust Areas for FEL Research
Injectors and Cathodes
Development of high current and high charge low emittance injectors
Explore robust superconducting RF photocathode and thermionic injector technology
MW RF input couplers and booster cryomodules for the SRF injector.
Megawatt Electron Beam Physics and Engineering:
Basic and applied research on the physics and technology relevant to the ONR INP FEL and MW class FEL future systems.
Studies of MW electron beam and optical beam physics and modeling and simulation for FEL cathodes, injectors, accelerators, and architectures need to conducted. Design and development of FEL components based on these studies.
 FEL Sensor Development:
Basic and applied research on the design, development, characterization and of THz sources and detectors
Take time to go thro and explain
Photoinjectors:
Cathodes: 1nC 700 MHz 1A (100MeV) – 1A CURRENT FOR Long life times, low emittance.
M&S: concerns with CSR and HALO as charge per bundle increases to 1 nC.
M&S of Photocathode surface.
Optics Coatings: High intensity at fundamental and harmonic
Components: Short Raleigh length concept and Optics control
Optimum concept: Trades M and S better understand electron beam and optics of oscillator and amplifier architectures.
Propagation: Effects of maritime environment on beam propagation i.e. attenuation and turbulence.
Lethality: PMS-405/JTO/ONR
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13. Approved for Public Release
Free Electron Laser
Capabilities:
Provides effective and affordable point defense capability against:
Current / future surface and air threats
Future Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles and Tactical Ballistic Missiles
Swarm of small boats and asymmetric threats
Provides discrimination and sensing capabilities greater than current Naval radar systems.
Warfighter Impact:
Low life cycle cost
Multi-mission / scalable
All electric for deep non-explosive magazine
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14. Technology Challenges for a MW Class FEL
Reduce accelerator footprint and weight
Develop High Power Optics
Complete Room Temperature Injector Operation at High Current and High Energy
Design Changes to Enable Shipboard Integration.
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15. Approved for Public Release
FY07 MRI Projects
(MRI) Fundamental Understanding of Optical Coatings and Novel Strategies for Power Scaling of High Power Free Electron Lasers (FELs)
Colorado State University
(MRI) Collective Beam Dynamics and Coherent Radiation Production from High Brightness Electron Beams: Application to ERL-Based Free-electron Lasers
UCLA
(MRI) Research In Technology For High Average Power FELs
University of Maryland
(MRI) High-Brightness Cathodes for High-Power FELs
Vanderbilt University
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16. Approved for Public Release
FY12 MRI Grants
Electro-Optical Sampling System for a High-Power ERL-Driven FEL
Colorado State University, Biedron
Investigation of Beam Source and Collective Effects and Instabilities Relevant to FELs
Naval Postgraduate School
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17. Approved for Public Release
FY10 BAA Projects
MW Class On–Axis RF Coupler for SRF injector for NPS
Niowave (Selected for 2nd year funding)
Novel FEL Cavity Optic
JLab (Selected for 2nd year funding)
Halo and Radiation Simulations Thru Undulators/ERL’s
STIO
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18. Approved for Public Release
FY12 BAA Efforts
Superconducting 700 MHz Multi-Spoke Injector for a MW class FEL
Niowave, Grimm
Laser damage of optical coatings up to 2.5 microns for MW-class Free Electron Lasers
CSU, Menoni
Modeling of High Average Power FEL Beamline Components through the Application of Fast, Accurate GPU-based Simulations
SAIC, Petillo
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19. Approved for Public Release
FY11 S&A Projects
Emittance and Bunch Shape of Diamond Amplified Pulsed Electron Sources
NRL
High-Average Current Injectors for MW Class FELs
Expanding Superconducting Radio-Frequency Photonic Band Gap Structures Accelerator Technology to 2.1 GHz
LANL
Approved for Public Release

20. The Mark I QW SRF Gun at NPS
Nov 2012 – in operation in vault with radiation shielding
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21. Approved for Public Release
The Mark I QW SRF Gun
Cryogen feeds &
Instrumentation
LHe tank
RF coupler assembly
Solenoid
Cathode assembly
Vacuum tank
Superconducting
cavity
Magnetic shield
77K N2 shield
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22. Mark I Progress and Status
The Mark I was built and tested at Niowave, results published in 2011
Low-power testing was performed at NPS while awaiting safety approvals for high-power operation
In Sept 2012 the first beam was generated
In Oct 2012 the Mark I was moved into the vault
In Nov 2012 the Mark I was operated in the vault at full field (750 kV gap voltage). With 70 mR/hr inside the vault, nothing detectable outside
The Mark I is ready to be used as a platform for testing cathodes in a superconducting gun
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23. Approved for Public Release
Summary
Technology maturation is an enabler for high power FEL
In previous years, JTO has supported the development of technologies and components to:
Understand and model the physics of Space-Charge, CSR, Halo, Beam Break-up, Cathode Surface Science and Optical Thin Films
Establish technical basis to support MW Class Shipboard FEL
Approved for Public Release