Open-access paper on “High performance Alexandrite crystals and coatings for high power space applications” published
Complementing the poster presentation at the virtual International Conference on Space Optics (30 March – 02 April 2021), GALACTIC has now published the proceedings paper on “High performance Alexandrite crystals and coatings for high power space applications”. The open-access paper, poster, and presentation are now available in the SPIE Digital Library.
Spaceborne Earth observation via LIDAR instruments requires new laser systems to gain deeper insight into large-scale atmospheric dynamics, improve the climate modeling and enhance the monitoring of the planet’s surface regarding the impact of climate change. Space-qualified Alexandrite crystals with optical interference coatings optimized for high laser-induced damage thresholds as laser-active media can overcome current limitations.
Currently, Alexandrite crystals are commercially available in Europe, but companies from the USA and China dominate the market. To make Europe non-dependent, GALACTIC is setting up a solely European supply chain for space-qualified Alexandrite crystals. This involves developing an advanced growth and coating process for Alexandrite laser crystals and laser demonstrators to prove the suitability for future Earth observation missions.
Finally, the partners of the GALACTIC project, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH), Altechna Coatings, and Optomaterials aim at increasing the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of European Alexandrite laser crystals from TRL 4 to TRL 6.
Would you like to know more about GALACTIC’s scientific-technical approach? Visit https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11852/118526S/GALACTIC–high-performance-Alexandrite-crystals-and-coatings-for-high/10.1117/12.2600321.full?SSO=1 to view the poster, presentation, and full paper.