A narrowband, frequency-agile laser for optical interrogation of arrayed fiber optic sensors

The VIRGINIA Class submarine employs the Light-Weight Wide Aperture Array (LWWAA) hull-mounted array of fiber-optic hydrophones that requires the use of high performance, narrowband lasers. In this Navy Phase II SBIR effort, a prototype laser for the LWWAA hull-array sensor will be developed using the frequency-stabilized semiconductor laser technology demonstrated during the Phase I effort. The specific objective of the Phase II effort will be to develop a master oscillator power amplifier based on a Bragg-stabilized semiconductor laser combined with a compact optical amplifier at 1319 nm that has suitable optical and mechanical characteristics for use in the hull-array sensor. The laser platform developed under this SBIR effort is readily adaptable to other useful wavelengths such as 1550 nm for use in the next generation of arrayed optical sensors.