Quantel has been involved in aerospace, space and defense projects for many years; specifically in the design and development of diode-pumped pulsed lasers: onboard systems, missile guidance, LIDAR, document authentication.

Military applications

Quantel has developed and is manufacturing lasers for target designation and telemetry airborne applications. Quantel is also part of fiber laser program in partnership with Thales as the designer and supplier of a network of integrated fiber components for submarine security in littoral and maritime zones.
Quantel also builds diode IR illuminators that deliver beams at 800 – 900 nm, for active surveillance of zone. The illumination can be made in CW and QCW modes.

Space applications

For over 20 years, Quantel has been involved in ESA (European Space Agency) space programs. On ALADIN and the ATLID LIDAR programs, Quantel developed the primary power amplifier diode-pumped systems.

We also provide long lifetime pumping diodes stacks specifically designed for the environmental conditions in space.

Quantel has been chosen by NASA as a supplier for the LOLA (Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter) program launched in June 2009. Quantel diodes also equipped the LIBS laser “Chemcam” of the MSL09 NASA mission to Mars. Quantel is a world leader for electro-optic efficiency which is essential for space applications. In only four years, Quantel increased its diode lifetime tenfold.

Laser Megajoule

The laser Megajoule (LMJ) is an essential element of the French Atomic Energy Commission Simulation program. The program provides a long-lasting alternative for nuclear simulations after the termination of nuclear tests. Quantel is involved in the design and manufacturing of the pre-amplification laser modules (PAM). These modules amplify a nanoJoule source up to a Joule level, as well as shape the pulse both spatially and temporally. Quantel is manufacturing the first 4 PAMs, in order to equip a LMJ arm (8 beams). As many as 88 PAM will be delivered by the end of the program.

LIFT program

LIFT (Leadership In Fiber Laser Technology), is a European application-orientated research and development project in studying of high-brilliance fiber lasers. The LIFT consortium develops innovative fiber laser sources mainly dedicated to material processing and medical applications. As one of the leaders in this project, Quantel develops multi-watt Continuous-Wave visible fiber lasers and complex systems such as a 3-colors fiber laser (Red, Yellow and Green) for medical applications.