Optronic Device Compact Laser Emission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optronic countermeasures devices are bulky and difficult to integrate into platforms due to the need for bulky lasers and complex optics to handle multiple wavelengths, leading to manufacturing and implementation challenges.
Innovation Solution
An optronic device with a support structure featuring a face with central and peripheral openings, housing laser units with quantum cascade laser diodes and optical systems optimized for maximum transmission, allowing for compact and efficient emission of multiple wavelengths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If solid-state lasers combined with parametric oscillators are used to provide significant peak power for jamming, then the countermeasure effectiveness is improved, but the device size and weight increase significantly making integration difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces bulky mechanical laser systems with electronic control of laser diodes. The laser diodes are directly controlled by electronic signals from the control unit, eliminating the need for complex mechanical parametric oscillators and transport optics. This substitution of mechanical systems with electronic control achieves the same countermeasure function with dramatically reduced size and weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters of the laser sources by using laser diodes that can be electronically modulated at high frequencies. Instead of using continuous-wave high-power lasers with mechanical modulation, the system uses pulsed laser diodes with electronically controlled pulse width and frequency, achieving peak power requirements through parameter optimization rather than physical size increase.
2Ease of operation
If transport optics are used to guide laser beams from remote laser sources to imaging and pointing systems, then the laser source can be located far from the platform, but the optical processing becomes technically difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the laser source, collimation optics, and beam delivery system into a single integrated laser unit that is positioned close to the imaging and pointing systems. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate transport optics and reduces the number of optical interfaces, simplifying the overall optical processing while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex transport optics from the system by locating the laser sources close to the imaging and pointing systems. By removing the need for long-distance beam transport, the complicated optical processing required for remote laser delivery is eliminated, while the laser sources remain easily positionable and integrated.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple wavelengths are used to detect a wide range of threats, then the detection capability is improved, but the optics must be adapted to transmit multiple wavelengths with low absorption requiring complex optical processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by using a single optical system that can transmit multiple wavelengths with high efficiency. The optical components are designed with broadband transmission characteristics, allowing the same optics to handle visible, near-infrared, and thermal wavelengths without requiring wavelength-specific adaptations, thus maintaining detection versatility while reducing optical complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameters of the transmission media and components to achieve low absorption across multiple wavelengths. By selecting materials and coating configurations with broadband transmission properties, the system maintains high transmission efficiency for all required wavelengths without requiring complex wavelength-specific optical processing for each band.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution simplifies manufacturing and integration by reducing the size and weight of the device, enabling effective protection against optical and optronic threats with improved compactness and reduced complexity in optics, while maintaining high optical power and beam quality.
Implementation Method 1
Each laser source (36) is designed to emit a laser beam at the wavelength of the laser unit
Implementation Method 2
The optical system has a maximum transmission coefficient for the wavelength of the laser unit
Implementation Method 3
Each laser source is a quantum cascade laser diode
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an optronic device (16) capable of emitting a plurality of wavelengths comprising: - an observation camera (24), the device (16) being characterised in that the device (16) comprises, for each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths: - a laser unit (26) comprising: - a laser source (36) capable of emitting a laser beam at the wavelength, - an optical system (38) having a maximum transmission coefficient for the wavelength.