Feature
How USAF Funding Shaped Laser–Atmosphere Modeling
A transformative software for nonlinear laser–atmosphere interactions illustrates how long-term basic research investment drives scientific and technological impact.
Conceptual illustration of atmospheric turbulence. [A. Efetova / Getty Images]
For over a decade, US federal research laboratories have funded and carried out research on ultrashort pulse lasers (USPLs). This article explains how two decades of targeted, sustained funding by the Department of the Air Force’s basic science funding arm (the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, or AFOSR) led to the development of a breakthrough software package that enables precision nonlinear modeling of laser–atmosphere interactions.
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