Photon Science & Applications

PS&A conducted the first demonstration of a resonance-transition alkali laser using Rb vapor.

The Photon Science & Applications (PS&A) program

The PS&A program is developing world-leading capabilities in laser technologies featuring high peak power, high average power, high intensity, high damage threshold and high photon energies. PS&A also develops critical technologies that advance the state of the art in laser science and is a world leader in precision, meter-scale gratings and optics, advanced high-power diode arrays and high-power fiber laser systems.

The program is now combining peak power and average power technologies to push the frontiers of intense laser science to meet national missions with a broad range of laser systems. These include the Mercury laser system for a fusion energy driver; the diode-pumped hydrocarbon-free alkali laser for high energy, scalable from kilowatt to megawatt class; the tailored-aperture-ceramic laser for directed energy weapons; the advanced radiographic capability, a petawatt (10¹⁵ watt) system for dynamic X-ray radiography on NIF; and the Thomson-radiated extreme X-ray system as a source for laser-based extreme X-rays for nuclear photon science.

Critical and Enabling Optical Technologies/ Advanced Optics

PS&A is developing meter-scale, lightweight diffractive lenses for next-generation space-based applications under "work for others" contracts. The program has designed and fabricated large-aperture holographic gratings for high-power laser applications. LLNL is providing large-aperture diffraction gratings to high-energy petawatt (10¹⁵ watt) projects throughout the world.

Mercury Laser System

Mercury is a kilowatt-class, high average power advanced diode-pumped, solid-state laser (DPSSL) system. It is the first of a new generation of laser drivers for inertial confinement fusion which can fire ten shots a second, helping to pave the path to using laser fusion for electrical power generation.

Speed-of-Light Weapons

The tailored-aperture ceramic laser (TACL) and solid-state heat-capacity laser (SSHCL) are examples of speed-of-light directed-energy weapons that can target and destroy short-range rockets, missiles, artillery, mortar fire, unmanned aerial vehicles and other battlefield threats such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines. LLNL's work on the SSHCL has set the stage for a new generation of ceramic lasers and high-power laser architectures which will be capable of running continuosly at high efficiency and with exceptional beam quality. The TACL system, a mobile, compact, lightweight laser system capable of being deployed on a variety of platforms is under development. TACL designs can use as little as one-tenth of the diode arrays employed by the SSHCL system, yet achieve the same power output capability.

Diode-Pumped Alkali Laser (DPAL)

DPAL is a scalable, efficient and compact high-energy laser with the potential for output powers from kilowatts to megawatts. DPAL is well suited for tactical laser systems. An innovative ceramic cell technology is now being developed and tracks well with PS&A's extensive models for performance and reliability.

Thomson-Radiated Extreme X-ray Source (T-REX)

T-REX, a gamma-ray photon source for high-confidence detection of nuclear materials, could be used by the Department of Homeland Security to enhance security in the nation's ports. As a gamma-ray source, T-REX will extend peak brillance 15 orders of magnitude beyond the current state of the art.