Digital Engineering Approach to the Development of Novel USPL Mid-IR Laser Systems

The exploitation of the Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach to laser design enabled the rapid development and deployment of our Mid-IR USPL system, while mitigating technical risk, reducing cost, and strengthening our organic engineering capability.  This was facilitated by a paradigm shift from the traditional "Design-Build-Test" methodology, in which the final product is developed by incrementally building out the system in the lab, to the "Model-Analyze-Build" MBSE approach, where the system design is defined by recursively modifying the model inside of a comprehensive Digital Ecosystem.  This shift in strategy is enabled by the creation of a modular open systems architecture which supports end-to-end laser development throughout the entire engineering lifecycle. The "connective tissue" between various design tools and simulations enables dynamic interoperability in a seamless information space, which facilitates rapid updates to the system design in response to changing requirements. Here we present our results, challenges, and lessons learned from leveraging the MBSE approach to system design applied to “one-off” laser systems.

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