The Department of Defense, specifically the Army, is seeking proposals for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topic titled "High-Power Single Mode Diode Bars." The objective is to develop diode bars capable of producing multi-watt outputs (5-10W) per emitter while maintaining single mode operation and achieving over 45% electro-optical efficiency at wavelengths between 9xxnm and 10xxnm. This technology is crucial for applications in high energy lasers, as it addresses current limitations in size, weight, and power efficiency. Interested parties can submit Phase I proposals with a funding amount of up to $250,000, with a performance period of six months. The application deadline is July 30, 2024, and further details can be found at the provided source link: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/.

## Description

This topic seeks to enable power scaling in direct diode high energy lasers (HELs) while maintaining single mode operation and high efficiency performance. Current diode bars are limited to 1W power outputs in single mode. This limitation leads to larger size, weight, and power (SWaP) HELS. The Army seeks a solution that demonstrates diode bars at 5W-10W per emitter with &gt; 45% eo-efficiency at 9xxnm-10xxnm wavelength. 

## Objective

Develop a diode bar with multi-watt (5-10W) power output per emitter that maintains single mode operation when coupled to an external wavelength beam combiner. 

## Phase I

This topic is accepting only Phase I proposals for the cost of up to $250,000 for up to a 6-month period of performance. During Phase I, Government and Industry will work collaboratively to refine topic objectives to reach a feasible commercial product. The work will entail a complete design of emitter as well as a bar of emitters, supported by modeling and simulation for validation and estimation of emitter performance. Experimentation and analysis are to be performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the emitter and validate the models/simulations. This effort will conclude with a traceable plan to produce prototypes in phase II and design iterations for further testing. 

## Phase II

During Phase II, a prototype design will be completed for production. A prototype will be delivered for demonstration. The demonstration device will be tested to validate the design against the threshold specifications of the topic. 

## Phase III: Dual Use Applications

Single-mode diodes have a variety of use cases across sensing, communications, and directed high energy applications. Single-mode diodes emit a narrow, intense beam that suffer less dispersion and attenuation than multi-diode beams. Potential dual use cases for single-mode diode bars include: <ul><li>&emsp;LiDAR (e.g., autonomous vehicles, surveying, atmospheric characterization) </li><li>&emsp;Fiber optic communications </li><li>&emsp;Manufacturing (cutting, engraving, welding) </li><li>&emsp;Medical procedures </li><li>&emsp;Cosmetics </li><li>&emsp;Printing</li></ul>

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