Daylight Solutions' new DARPA award to advance high-power mid-IR laser technology

Nov. 24, 2008

November 24, 2008--Daylight Solutions (Poway, CA) has received an SBIR award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to advance its EC-QCL technology for infrared countermeasures (IRCM) to disable heat-seeking weapons. The technology, says Daylight, is "well aligned with the demands of the defense sector." The project will focus on advancing the state of IRCM art by scaling output to greater than 5 Watts.

November 24, 2008--Daylight Solutions (Poway, CA) has been awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The company will use the award to advance Daylight's compact, high power mid-infrared EC-QCL (quantum cascade laser) technology for infrared countermeasures (IRCM).

IRCM devices are designed to protect aircraft from infrared homing ("heat seeking") missiles; they work by confusing the missiles' guidance system. Daylight Solutions technology for broadly tunable EC-QCLs won the 2006 PhAST/Laser Focus World Innovation Award at the annual CLEO/QELS conference.

The project will focus on scaling the output power of Daylight's patented ECqcL technology to greater than 5 Watts, providing an update to current IRCM methods. The techniques developed will be integrated into Daylight's miniaturized packaging technology, allowing compatibility with high volume production processes.

"This project assists us in advancing our technology by providing increased output power levels, while reducing system size, weight, and power consumption. It provides a clear path to next-generation IRCM solutions," says Daylight's CEO/CTO, Dr. Timothy Day.

For more information, see the page on Daylight Solutions' website describing its tunable mid-IR external cavity lasers.