Pranalytica Introduces Breakthrough Advance in Lasers for Aircraft Missile Defense Systems
Two watt continuous wave, room temperature, fully packaged, turn-key quantum cascade laser system offers unmatched power, utility, affordability for defense, homeland security applications
SANTA MONICA, CA - Dec. 15, 2008 - Pranalytica, Inc. today announces the introduction of the 2 watt version of its fully packaged, continuous wave, room temperature Model 1101-46 quantum cascade laser (QCL) system emitting at a wavelength of 4.6 microns, marking a breakthrough advance in the development of Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM) systems for commercial and military aircraft.
"Pranalytica is pleased to contribute to the development of the key component of highly effective, reliable and affordable countermeasures systems for defense and commercial airline applications," said Dr. C. Kumar N. Patel, president and CEO of Pranalytica. "This rapid technology advance represents a significant leap forward in meeting the needs of our aerospace and defense customers."
For several years, the U.S. Department of Defense has been supporting a large effort to develop a new generation of laser-based directional IRCM systems. The DIRCMs are expected to dramatically improve the level of protection available to aircraft against heat-seeking missiles compared to those provided by legacy, non-directional systems. Since 2004, the Department of Homeland Security has also conducted an extensive analysis, demonstration and testing of technologies to counter the threat to commercial aircraft during take-off and landing from shoulder-fired missiles known as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). According to the U.S. Department of State, these missile systems have been manufactured in more than 20 countries. Unfortunately, a substantial number of the MANPADS have found their way into the hands of terrorists and have been used to attack more than 40 civilian aircraft, causing over 400 casualties. The Homeland Security Counter-MANPADS program is looking at adapting directional infrared countermeasures technology used on select military aircraft for commercial use. DIRCM systems are expected to provide unprecedented improvement in protection against MANPADS in the event of a terrorist action and potentially save lives as well as reduce economic disruption caused by a successful attack.
Even though the quantum cascade lasers were invented over fifteen years ago at Bell Labs, it is only through Pranalytica's recent offerings that the high power continuous wave room temperature QCL systems have become commercially available for the first time. High power QCLs are enablers for many of the critically important defense and homeland security applications. Driven by the needs of DARPA funded contracts to detect chemical warfare agents and explosives and to increase the wallplug efficiency of QCLs, Pranalytica has become a leader in science and technology of high power QCLs. The reliable high power operation of the QCL has been made posssible through key advances in the fundamental design of the QCL structure, which are patent protected by Pranalytica. In addition, Pranalytica has led the way in industrial grade processing of these lasers including the development of high reliability facet coatings and fully integrated hermetic laser packages for practical applications. High power quantum cascade lasers offer game-changing new capability for DIRCM systems due to their small size, low weight, low power consumption, high reliability, and potentially lower cost. Unlike the situation just a year ago, applications engineers no longer need to be experts in QCL technology to incorporate these lasers into their defense and homeland security systems.
Pranalytica has already supplied a number of one watt versions of its fully packaged, continous wave, room temperature turn-key Model 1101-46 QCL system since June 2008 to four of the tier one aerospace/defense contractors. Pranalytica is also supplying to its customers a specially modified version of the high power QCL for operation at cryogenic temperatures, where the Pranalytica QCLs provide in excess of 4 W of continuous wave collimated power output. The response from all these customers has been uniformly positive.
The new two watt version of the room temperature operation QCL system maintains the good to excellent output beam quality of the earlier Pranalytica systems, and offers potentially lower cost per watt. The two watt system is turn-key and fully lab tested with several thousand hours of in-house testing time. As before, the laser package is hermetically sealed for reliable operation in adverse environments and the laser output is collimated using an internal lens system. In addition to IRCM, the Pranalytica two watt QCL system may be used to enhance various other applications such as LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and freespace optical communications.
Pranalytica is the world's only supplier of complete, fully packaged, turn-key high power QCL systems. Being an integrated laser designer and manufacturer, the company offers significant in-house capabilites to improve and modify the standard systems to meet diverse customer requirements, starting with the fundamental design of the quantum cascade laser and all the way through system-level issues.
About Pranalytica, Inc.
Pranalytica is a leading manufacturer of quantum cascade lasers and laser-based trace gas detection equipment for industrial, environmental, military, and security applications. More than forty trace gas sensors manufactured by Pranalytica have been deployed in multiple customer locations in the U. S., Europe and the Far East for a variety of industrial and environmental applications. The Founder, President and CEO of Pranalytica, Dr. C. Kumar N. Patel, led all of the Physics and Materials Science Research effort at AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1981 to 1993. He has intimate knowledge of the laser needs of many of defense-related systems through his extensive involvement in a number of Washington-based committees. Dr. Patel has been a member of the Board of Directors of Newport Corporation for over twenty years.
For more information, visit www.pranalytica.com.
Media Contact:
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