Custom laser diode supplier Lasertel has been awarded a Phase 1 contract to participate in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Efficient Ultra-Compact Laser Integrated Devices (EUCLID) program. With an award of just over $1 million, Lasertel will work over the next 12 months to develop a new laser diode pump source capable of providing high power and low size, weight and power. The company expects product size and weight to be significantly below that of products currently on the market. The EUCLID program aims to greatly reduce the size and weight of laser diode pump sources for fiber lasers used in directed energy applications. High-energy laser technology has the potential to provide new and enhanced defense capabilities. However, until recently, these systems have been too large and heavy to be widely integrated in military platforms. Lasertel is a supplier of custom laser diodes for defense, automotive lidar, medicine, industry and R&D. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.