Air Force funds fiber laser research, considers applications Published Jan. 7, 2008 By Maria Callier Air Force Office of Scientific Research Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials have recently funded a project that creates fiber-lasers as thin as a human hair. The ultra-fast fiber laser development will provide compact and cost effective solutions across a number of technologies of direct relevance to the Air Force. Cumbersome and expensive ultra-fast laser sources will be replaced by compact, hardy and economical fiber-based applications that will link laser research with real-life applications. Dr. Jerome V. Moloney, director of the Arizona Center for Mathematical Sciences in Tucson, Ariz., is conducting the research. In the course of the AFOSR-sponsored program, his team has developed unique technologies allowing for integration of laser-active ions into fully functional and packaged fiber-laser devices. "Our research established four world records for continuous wave, single wavelength fiber devices," Dr. Moloney said. "Special glass fibers with high concentration of ions allowed us to generate record peak power from compact and economical all-fiber devices. However, our work in this area is not limited by laboratory demonstrations. We also target development of fully functional prototypes of fiber-laser sources that can be transported and tested in the field. "One of the main challenges of our work is to transition our basic research into engineering and commercial development," he said. "We are exploring various ways of commercializing our technology by licensing it through the University of Arizona's Office of Technology Transfer. We plan to establish a start-up company for device packaging and distribution. We are working with various contacts within the Air Force Research Laboratory who have a direct interest in this technology transition." Dr. Moloney and his team are now looking into new military applications that will open up opportunities in various material-processing applications, non-linear optics and terahertz remote sensing. By funding Dr. Moloney's research, AFOSR continues to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of Air Force's basic research program. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) Click here to view the comments/letters page