Combined high-energy laser (HEL) system or other system and laser detection and ranging (LADAR) system

A system comprising:

• a high-energy laser (HEL) source configured to generate laser energy at a first wavelength;
• a laser detection and ranging (LADAR) source configured to generate LADAR energy at a second wavelength;
• a reference laser source configured to generate a reference laser beam;
• a beam director configured to direct the laser energy from the HEL source as an HEL laser beam towards a target and to direct the LADAR energy as a LADAR beam towards the target;
• a LADAR detector configured to sense a received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target, wherein an amount of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target is lower than an amount of the laser energy from the HEL source at the LADAR detector reflected from the target;
• one or more first filters configured to attenuate any portion of the laser energy from the HEL source that follows an optical path towards the LADAR detector while allowing at least part of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target to pass to the LADAR detector;
• and
• a second filter configured to (i) reflect a majority of the laser energy from the HEL source towards the beam director, (ii) transmit a portion of the laser energy from the HEL source to a phase detector, and (iii) reflect the reference laser beam at the first wavelength from the reference source towards the phase detector, wherein the phase detector is configured to measure a phase difference between the portion of the laser energy from the HEL source and the reference laser beam, wherein the HEL source is configured to pre-compensate for atmospheric distortions or other turbulence by using the phase difference to reduce errors in a wavefront of the laser energy from the HEL source at the target.

A system comprising:

• a high-energy laser (HEL) source configured to generate laser energy at a first wavelength;
• a laser detection and ranging (LADAR) source configured to generate LADAR energy at a second wavelength;
• a reference laser source configured to generate a reference laser beam;
• a beam director configured to direct the laser energy from the HEL source as an HEL laser beam towards a target and to direct the LADAR energy as a LADAR beam towards the target;
• multiple filters comprising:
• at least one first filter configured to attenuate any portion of the laser energy from the HEL source that follows an optical path towards the LADAR detector while allowing at least part of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target to pass to the LADAR detector, wherein an amount of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target is lower than an amount of the laser energy from the HEL source at the LADAR detector reflected from the target, wherein the at least one first filter is configured to provide an attenuation of the laser energy from the HEL source that is greater than an attenuation of the received portion of the LADAR energy;
• and
• at least one second filter configured to (i) reflect a majority of the laser energy from the HEL source towards the beam director, (ii) transmit a portion of the laser energy from the HEL source to a phase detector, and (iii) reflect the reference laser beam towards the phase detector, wherein the phase detector is configured to measure a phase difference between the portion of the laser energy from the HEL source and the reference laser beam, wherein the HEL source is configured to pre-compensating for atmospheric distortions or other turbulence by using the phase difference to reduce errors in a wavefront of the laser energy from the HEL source at the target.

A system comprising:

• a high-energy laser (HEL) source configured to generate laser energy at a first wavelength;
• a laser detection and ranging (LADAR) source configured to generate LADAR energy at a second wavelength;
• a reference laser source configured to generate a reference laser beam;
• a beam director configured to direct the laser energy from the HEL source as an HEL laser beam towards a target and to direct the LADAR energy as a LADAR beam towards the target;
• a LADAR detector configured to sense a received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target, wherein an amount of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target is lower than an amount of the laser energy from the HEL source at the LADAR detector reflected from the target;
• multiple filters comprising:
• at least one first filter configured to attenuate any portion of the laser energy from the HEL source that follows an optical path towards the LADAR detector while allowing at least part of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target to pass to the LADAR detector;
• and
• at least one second filter configured to (i) reflect a majority of the laser energy from the HEL source towards the beam director, (ii) transmit a portion of the laser energy from the HEL source to a phase detector, and (iii) reflect the reference laser beam towards the phase detector, wherein the phase detector is configured to measure a phase difference between the portion of the laser energy from the HEL source and the reference laser beam, wherein the HEL source is configured to pre-compensate for atmospheric distortions or other turbulence by using the phase difference to reduce errors in a wavefront of the laser energy from the HEL source at the target;
• an auto-alignment source configured to generate an auto-alignment beam;
• a reflector configured to reflect the auto-alignment beam;
• and
• a detector configured to sense the reflected auto-alignment beam, wherein each of the auto-alignment source and the detector is associated with one of the HEL source and the LADAR source.

A method comprising:

• generating high-energy laser (HEL) energy at a first wavelength;
• generating laser detection and ranging (LADAR) energy at a second wavelength;
• generating a reference laser beam;
• directing the HEL energy as an HEL laser beam towards a target and directing the LADAR energy as a LADAR beam towards the target;
• sensing a received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target using a LADAR detector, wherein an amount of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target is lower than an amount of the HEL energy at the LADAR detector reflected from the target;
• using one or more first filters, attenuating any portion of the HEL energy that follows an optical path towards the LADAR detector while allowing at least part of the received portion of the LADAR energy reflected from the target to pass to the LADAR detector;
• using a second filter, (i) reflecting a majority of the HEL energy towards a beam director, (ii) transmitting a portion of the HEL energy to a phase detector, and (iii) reflecting the reference laser beam at the first wavelength towards the phase detector, wherein the phase detector is configured to measure a phase difference between the portion of the HEL energy and the reference laser beam;
• and
• using the phase difference to pre-compensate for atmospheric distortions or other turbulence by reducing errors in a wavefront of the laser energy from the HEL source at the target.