Aculight Wins Air Force Fiber-Laser Contract

BOTHELL, Wash., May 31 -- Aculight Corp. has won a $750,000 contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to investigate new fiber-laser technologies for laser radar systems. These systems can be used to enable autonomous targeting for a new generation of smart weapons. Aculight believes the technology developed under this contract will lead to advances in other nondefense-related laser applications, including optical medical imaging.

Aculight's research will focus on use of short-pulse fiber-laser technology and the integration of fiber-laser and semiconductor laser technologies. Aculight said it plans to base its research on technologies it has developed for the telecommunications industry. The research is expected to result in a new class of laser devices that can be electronically reconfigured for specific applications.