DEFENSE APPLICATIONS

 

Isomet has supplied numerous acousto-optic devices to national labs and defense contractors for a wide variety of applications. We have highlighted several application areas below.
Q-switches Solid state laser systems that utilize acousto-optic Q-switching to generate high-repetition-rate pulse trains are being developed for military applications. Isomet has full capability to fabricate Q-switches from all commonly used acousto-optic materials (e.g. SF10, quartz, TeO2, etc.). We have recently begun to ship these devices to customers.
Multi-spectral imaging An article in the December 2001 issue of Photonics Spectra describes a multi-spectral imaging system based a CO2 laser with acousto-optic tuning. Click here to link to the article.
Acousto-optic tuning
of CO2 lasers

Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) is a laser-based technique used to measure the concentration of trace gases. The trace gas to be detected determines the required laser wavelength. Since the CO2 laser can be tuned over a relatively large range (9.2-10.8 microns), it can be used to measure a variety of trace gases. A rapidly tunable CO2 laser that utilizes intra-cavity acousto-optic deflectors for wavelength selection has been demonstrated.
Infrared scene
projector		 Infrared scene projectors (ISPs) utilizing acousto-optic devices have been developed for testing thermal-imaging guidance systems. Imagery is created at several infrared wavelengths, combined, and then projected into the thermal-imaging system under test. ISPs provide an alternative to testing in an uncontrolled open-air environment.

Laser pantography

 

This technique was developed in the 1980's to allow rapid prototyping of VLSI circuits. The method utilizes laser induced chemical vapor deposition to create IC interconnects on CMOS arrays. An X-Y acosuto-optic deflector is used to scan the laser beam across the device.
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