$4.5M Contract with Army Research Laboratory Will Fund Development of Diode Sources with 1kW Output
MADISON, WI – August 3, 2005 – Alfalight, Inc., a technology innovator and manufacturer of highly efficient and reliable high-power diode lasers, today announced that it has received a research and development contract worth $4.5 million from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, Maryland. This 12-month program will enable Alfalight to develop a high-power, high-brightness multimode diode laser source with an output of one kilowatt.
The results of this contract are expected to have significant impact on fundamental diode source brightness, increase power per laser emitter, and produce new techniques for combining the output of several laser emitters into one compact spot. Combined with Alfalight’s high device efficiency, the program will enable the development of high-power modules for pumping fiber lasers, for direct materials processing, and for advancing defense requirements for efficient and compact high-energy lasers.
“This contract from Army Research Lab reflects Alfalight’s continued commitment to advancing diode laser technology,” said Manoj Kanskar, vice president of Research and Development of Alfalight. “The results of this program will have a significant impact on fundamental diode source brightness and foster new techniques for delivering power from multiple diodes into small spot sizes and fibers.”
“This program will provide a new diode-based high-energy laser architecture with important defense and commercial applications,” said Dr. Gary Wood, Chief of Electro-optics & Photonics Division at ARL. “The system efficiency and brightness of the laser diode source has the potential to make this suitable for deployment in portable, close-range defense systems.”
“This award by the Army Research Laboratory represents another vote of confidence in a growing Wisconsin technology company,” said Senator Herb Kohl (WI – D). “This development program is expected to yield fundamental technology improvements, commercial products, and potential for growth in jobs and market share that benefit both Alfalight and the state of Wisconsin.”
About Alfalight
Alfalight, Inc. is a technology innovator and manufacturer of highly efficient and reliable high-power diode lasers for industrial, defense, and telecommunications markets worldwide. The company’s advanced Aluminum-Free Active region (ALFA) diode lasers provide industry-leading efficiency, reliability, power and brightness. Alfalight has exclusive license to patents that include high-power narrow-spectrum stabilized lasers, single-mode lasers, and short-wavelength lasers. Alfalight’s current high-power diode laser product line includes free-space and fiber-coupled single emitters as well as fiber-coupled multi-emitter pump modules. For more information, visit www.alfalight.com.
