DOD contract moves high-tech weapon forward

Directed energy weapons are not science fiction; the technology exists and is being refined.

Under a new Defense Department contract, QPC Lasers Inc. will produce high-power fiber laser pump engines for directed energy weapons applications. The company will increase the power from levels targeted in previous contracts and accelerates the development and delivery of high power laser prototypes for potential deployment.

The prototypes utilize QPC Lasers Inc. semiconductor laser technologies that are designed to greatly reduce the cost, size, and weight of the laser compared to conventional lasers.

The contract leverages three of QPC's technologies:

• Low cost, high power chip technology, which enables QPC to place hundreds of high-brightness surface emitting lasers onto a single chip, which the company said, will enable higher power and brightness with a size, cost, and weight savings of more than 10 times compared with conventional laser technologies.
  
• Rugged military fiber coupled module production capability for reliable operation on the battlefield.