Q-Peak’s Mid-Wave Infrared Polarization-Maintaining Single Mode Fiber

Q-Peak, Inc has been awarded a contract from the Naval Air Warfare Center to develop a high power mid-IR polarization-maintaining single mode fiber that can deliver 10-W CW linearly polarized mid-IR laser from 2 to 6 µm with high polarization extinction ratio and low propagation loss for next generation infrared countermeasure applications.

Infrared countermeasures (IRCM) designed to prevent missiles from reaching their target are standard equipment on military aircraft. However, most of mid-IR laser are polarized and the polarization state of a polarized mid-IR laser is not preserved if it propagates in a non-PM mid-IR fiber. Hence, polarization-maintaining mid-IR fiber is needed for propagation in a polarized mid-IR laser. Next-generation infrared countermeasures will require preserving the polarization state of high power polarized mid-IR laser if it propagates in mid-IR fiber in order to be effective. Currently there is no commercially available mid-IR PM single mode fiber.

High power mid-wave infrared polarization-maintaining single mode fiber has many military applications including high power linearly polarized mid-IR laser beam delivery, remote sensing of biological or chemical agents, and infrared countermeasures. It also has many commercial applications, such as chemical sensing for hazardous agents and gas leak detection, medical diagnostics, laser surgery, and IR spectroscopy.

For more information, contact:

Eric Park epark@qpeak.com
Vice President, Systems
Q-Peak, Inc.
135 South Road
Bedford, MA 01730
(781) 275-9535

This material is based upon work supported by the Naval Air Warfare Center under Contract No. N68335-19-C-0341. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NAVAIR.