Short Courses
The following short courses were offered in-person on Monday, 3 April in conjunction with the
2023 Annual Directed Energy Science & Technology Symposium.
Continuous Learning Point (CLP) credits were awarded for completion of the short courses.
While all of the classes were unclassified, some had additional participation requirements,
which are defined here and specified in the Classification section of each course description.
- Distribution A - Open, public release. Any registrant may participant.
- Distribution C - Restricted to employees of the U.S. Federal Government or its contractors.
- Distribution D - Restricted to employees of the U.S. Department of Defense or its contractors.
Course 1. Introduction to High Energy Laser Systems
Classification: Unclassified, Open Public Release (Dist A)
Instructor: Matthew Leigh, DE JTO
Duration: Half-day course, 0800 to 1200
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description: This lecture will introduce the field of HEL weapons and their associated technologies
using an interweaving of technical requirements, history, and accomplishments. The basic attributes of HEL weapons will be
covered, leading into discussions of laser-material interaction, lethality, potential weapon applications, system requirements,
laser power scaling, propagation, and beam control. DoD interest in tactical applications, current technical issues, and areas
of research emphasis will be highlighted.
Intended Audience: This course is geared to those with a technical background who seek an overview of HEL
technology and the current state of the art. Individuals who are beginning to work in the field or technical managers who
wish an integrated overview would benefit from the class.
Instructor Biography: Matthew Leigh earned his BS in Physics from Brigham Young University. He earned his PhD in Physics
at the University of Arizona, and his dissertation work was on pulsed fiber lasers under the direction of Dr. Nasser
Peyghambarian. He worked at Spectra-Physics, NP Photonics, and Envisioneering before entering government service. He helped out with a
number of projects at NSWC-DD, including the LaWS program. He was selected to serve as the Navy Science and Technology
Representative at the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office where he has been overseeing the university's
Multidisciplinary Research Initiative program and the Atmospheric Propagation TAWG.
Course 2. Introduction to Pulse Lasers: Interactions, Propagation, and Systems
Classification: Unclassified, Limited Distribution C
Instructor: Martin Richardson, Center for Directed Energy at UCF
Duration: Half-day course, runs 0800-1200
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description: This course provides a general overview of pulsed lasers with an emphasis on how they interact with
materials as well as the physics that govern propagation. The course will cover nanosecond through femtosecond pulsed lasers with
particular attention placed on Ultrashort Pulse Lasers (USPL) that operate from a few picoseconds to femtoseconds. The lecture will
focus on theoretical, computational, and experimental results to provide attendees insight into the various nonlinear mechanisms
that differentiate high intensity laser pulses from traditional laser sources. The course will include an introduction to pulsed
laser architecture, a survey of source technologies, and recent developments with an aim towards system ruggedization. The course
will end with a discussion of new applications that may be enabled by near-term and next-generation systems.
Topics to be covered in this course include:
- Pulse laser sources
- Material interactions
- Hydrodynamics
- Wave optics
- Nonlinear optics
- Plasma physics
- Beam propagation
- Turbulence
Intended Audience: This course is intended for those individuals that are looking for an introduction to pulse laser physics,
systems, and potential applications. The course assumes that the student has some science/engineering background and has some understanding
of optics theory and techniques.
Course 3. High Power Microwave Directed Energy Weapons and Their Effects
Classification: Unclassified, Limited Distribution C
Instructor: John Tatum, SURVICE Engineering Company
Day/Time: Half-day course, runs 0800-1200
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description:
This course is an introductory course to High Power Radio Frequency/Microwave (HPM) Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) and their effects.
The course will cover what HPM weapons are, the type of weapons - Narrowband and Wideband, how the weapons are like, but different
from traditional Electronic Warfare (EW) and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP), how the HPM energy couples in to a target's electronics
and their effects. The course will also cover some of the basic modeling and simulation tools for computing/estimating the probability
of target failure as a function of weapon power density and range. Finally, we will show an example of how to determine hardening
requirements for a notional helicopter against an HPM weapon.
Some topics include:
- What are HPM DEW weapons?
- Why Does the Warfighter Care About HPM DEWs?
- What are the Types of HPM DEWs?
- How are HPM DEWs similar to EW and EMP, but different?
- How Does HPM DEW energy couple into a target?
- What are the Effects of HPM DEW?
- How can we Compute/Estimate the HPM DEW Level Required to Produce System Failure?
- How can we Protect our Systems Against HPM DEW Environments?
Intended Audience: This course is intended for those individuals that are looking for an introduction to High Power
Microwave Directed Energy Weapons and their effects on target systems. The course assumes that the student has some science/engineering
background and understands some Radio Frequency/Microwave theory and techniques.
Instructor Biography:
John T. Tatum is an electronic system's engineer with over 44 years of experience in Radar, Electronic Warfare (EW), Electromagnetic
(EM) Effects and Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) and their effects. Mr. Tatum now works for the SURVICE Engineering Company as a Subject
Matter Expert (SME) EW and Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapons (RF DEWs) and their effects. He also acts as a SME for the Defense
Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) and provides information on RF DEW technology and effects.
Before SURVICE, Mr. Tatum worked for the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, Md. {formerly Harry Diamond Laboratories (HDL)}
in ARL's RF Electronics Division for almost 37 years, where he directed and participated in High Power RF/Microwave (HPM) effects
investigations on military systems and supporting infrastructure. Mr. Tatum also investigated the feasibility and effectiveness of
RF DEW concepts for various Army applications. Mr. Tatum was the Army chairman of the RF DE Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manual
(JMEM) Working Group and chaired RF Effects Panel for the OSD Technology Panel on DEW. He is a fellow of the Directed Energy
Professional Society (DEPS) and has published several papers on RF susceptibility assessments, system effects investigations
and effects data bases in both DoD and IEEE conferences. In his spare time, Mr. Tatum is a volunteer teacher for Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to elementary, middle and high school students.
Course 4. Directed Energy Bio-Effects
Classification: Unclassified, Limited Distribution D
Instructors:
- Joel Bixler, AFRL
- Noel Montgomery, AFRL
- Jason Payne, AFRL
Duration: Half-day course, runs 0800-1200
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description: This course will present and discuss the effects of optical and radio frequency energy
upon biological systems. With the proliferation of directed energy (DE) sources in the military environment there
is increasing need for understanding DE bioeffects to protecting our troops from incidental or intentional exposure.
We will present the mechanisms through which biology may be affected by DE and the power levels required to produce
effects. This information will be set within a safety, legal, and policy context to illuminate the challenges faced
by DE systems as they navigate the acquisition environment. Topics include:
- Why is the Department of Defense Interested in Directed Energy Bioeffects?
- Laser Bioeffects
- Applications and Considerations
- Modeling Hazards and Assessing Effectiveness
- Mechanisms of Damage for tissues
- Eye Vs. Skin
- Long Exposures
- Moderate Length Exposures
- Short Pulse Exposures
- Special Considerations
- Laser Summary
- RF Bioeffects
- Damage Mechanisms and Modeling
- Dosimetry
- RF Case Studies
Intended Audience: This course is intended for anyone interested in the biological effects of laser and radio
frequency energy. Rigorous scientific directed energy bioeffects information will be presented in a context of safety,
legal, and systems development
Instructor Biographies:
Joel N. Bixler is a Senior Biomedical Engineer with the Bioeffects Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory. He currently serves as the core
research area lead overseeing novel DE Bioeffects mechanisms experimentation for the Division. He research focus includes laser-tissue interaction,
ultrafast imaging, and pulsed electric field bioeffects. He received his PhD from Texas A&M University in 2015, and has co-authored more than 30
papers in the fields of biomedical optics and laser tissue interactions.
Dr. Noel D. Montgomery recently retired from the Radio Frequency Bioeffects Branch of the
711 Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory. He has 30+ years experience in characterization of radiation
hazards and bioeffects to include Radio Frequency, optical, and ionizing radiation effects on humans and the environment.
Dr. Montgomery has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio, a Master of Science Degree in Health Physics from Texas A&M University, and a
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Portland, Oregon. Dr. Montgomery is a diplomate of the
American Board of Health Physics.
Mr. Jason Payne is the Core Research Area (CRA) lead for Directed Energy Bioeffects Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis for the Bioeffects Division
(RHD) within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). His research is focused on computational modeling and simulation (M&S) of DE-tissue interaction,
with a specific interest in dosimetry and thermal models for High Power Microwave and Millimeter Wave exposures. As part of this research, the RHD
M&S team has developed high-fidelity anatomical body models that can be coupled to physics-level simulation tools to predict the patterns of
electromagnetic (EM) energy absorption within the body. Mr. Payne leads a team of scientists and engineers who research and develop theories and
approaches to couple these EM calculations to biological effects algorithms. The data derived from these physics-level simulations are actively
being collated for use within Air Force and DoD level software frameworks for Mission and Engagement level simulations.
Course 5. Introduction to High Power Microwave Systems
Classification: Unclassified, Limited Distribution C
Instructor: Jeremy Oliver, AFRL
Duration: Half-day course, 1300-1700
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description:
This course will provide an introduction to RF Directed Energy weapons, also known as
High Power Microwave (HPM) weapons. The course consists of five parts: 1) a general introduction to the basic terms
and concepts, 2) prime power and pulsed power systems needed to drive HPM devices, 3) HPM sources to include concepts
and examples, 4) HPM narrowband and wideband antennas, and 5) design and fabrication of HPM systems.
At the end of the class, students will know what RF-DEWs are and how they differ from classical Electronic Warfare
and nuclear EMP. Students will learn the various ways to design and develop HPM subsystems to include the fundamental
concepts through the practical construction of such systems (science and engineering). Technology discussions will
show the difference between narrow band (NB) and ultra-wide band (UWB) sources, antennas and diagnostics, as well as
the principal elements of the power systems needed to support them. The course concludes with a examples of HPM systems
developed in the recent years. Topics to be covered include:
- Definitions, motivation, notional concepts
- Technology - Power Sources and Power Conditioning, Microwave Oscillators, Antennas, Diagnostics
- System level design for multiple application
Intended Audience: Newcomers to the field of RF-DEW or managers with some background in science and engineering
will benefit the most from this course.
Instructor Biography:
Jeremy Oliver works in the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate where he does strategic planning and manages the
portfolio for the High Power Electromagnetic division. He has had several assignments including performing intelligence assessments on
directed energy systems, program management of High Power Microwave systems, as well as several leadership positions to include flight
commander, section chief, deputy branch chief, and deputy division chief. He received a BS in Applied Optics from Rose-Hulman Institute
of Technology and a MS in Electrical Engineering with a focus on High Power Microwaves from Air Force Institute of Technology.
Course 6. Windows and Coatings for HEL Systems
Classification: Unclassified, Open Public Release (Dist A)
Instructor: Bill Decker
Day/Time: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description:
Windows - issues and solutions
- How are these windows different?
- What are the options for materials?
- What are the performance specs that are important to DE?
- Optical polishing technology - current state of the art
Coatings
- Why are they still a problem?
- Where can I get the work done?
Intended Audience: All with a desire to learn about optical materials and high performance coatings. A background in optics is not
required, but will enhance a student's experience. No formal training is required.
Instructor Biography: Mr. Decker served twenty years in the US Army, including assignments as a Physics Instructor at the US Military
Academy and as Research and Development Coordinator at the Army's Night Vision and Electro-Optics Laboratory. Since his retirement, he has held
management positions at ITT Night Vision, the University of Texas Applied Research Laboratory and at L-3 Brashear. He recently retired as the
Director, Technology Transition Center of Excellence at the Defense Acquisition University, where he also taught engineering and science and
technology management courses. Mr. Decker is a graduate of Cornell University and the Naval Postgraduate School.
Course 7. Digital Holography for DE Applications
Classification: Unclassified, Public Release (Dist A)
Instructors: Dr. Mark Spencer, AFRL
Duration: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description: This short course summarizes five years of novel research in digital holography at the Air Force
Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate (AFRL/RD) with collaborators at the US Air Force Academy (USAFA), the Air Force
Institute of Technology (AFIT), and the University of Rochester (amongst many others). The course follows the material presented in
textbook chapters, dissertations, other short courses, journal articles, and patents to cover the topics needed to effectively lead
R&D efforts that use digital holography (with an emphasis on directed-energy applications).
By the end of this course, students will know the fundamentals of digital holography and how to apply them to advanced topics
like deep-turbulence wavefront sensing and imaging through deep turbulence.
Topics to be covered include refreshers on:
- Linear systems and Fourier optics
- Imaging systems and isoplanatic aberrations
Digital-holography fundamentals:
- Off-axis image plane recording geometry
- Signal-to-noise ratio and shot-noise limit
Advanced topics to be covered include:
- Deep-turbulence wavefront sensing
- Imaging through deep turbulence
Intended Audience: This course is for the working professional. Both technical personnel and program managers will benefit
from the material presented within. Interested students should have an undergraduate education in science, engineering, or math.
Instructor Biography: Dr. Mark F. Spencer is a senior research physicist at the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed
Energy Directorate (AFRL/RD) and an adjunct assistant professor of optical sciences and engineering at the Air Force Institute of
Technology (AFIT), within the Department of Engineering Physics. He currently serves as the Directed Energy Staff Specialist at US
INDOPACOM (as a liaison from AFRL/RD). In the past, he served as the principal investigator for the Aero Effects and Beam Control
Program (at AFRL/RD). Mark received his BS degree in physics from the University of Redlands in 2008 and his MS and PhD degrees
in optical sciences and engineering from AFIT in 2011 and 2014, respectively. In addition to being a senior member of SPIE and
OSA, he is an active member of the Directed Energy Professional Society.
Course 8. DE Warfighter 101
Classification: Unclassified, Distribution Limitation A
Instructors:
- Dan A. Isbell, USAF, Retired
- Robert M. Newton, USAF, Retired
Duration: Half-day course, runs 1300-1700
Credits awarded: 2 CLPs
Course Description: This course is an introductory course on Directed Energy Weapons, including High Energy Laser (HEL)
Weapons and High-Power Microwave (HPM) Weapons. The course does not teach the scientific equations or “how to build” a Directed
Energy Weapon, nor does it assume the student has any technical background or experience. This course provides basic principles of
understanding that most people from any type of educational background can grasp and understand.
Since Directed Energy Weapon Systems are nearing operational use, the emphasis is on the operationally distinguishing
characteristics of HEL/HPM systems nearing deployment. Consequently, this course was designed for warfighters, so it also
places Directed Energy Weapons into the context of military operations and applications. As HEL and HPM weapon systems are
rapidly maturing and now entering warfighter field trials in operational conditions, it is also important that program managers,
logisticians, politicians, and other non-scientific background Department of Defense and/or defense contractor personnel better
understand Directed Energy Weapons in a more practical way. Therefore, this HEL/HPM course transforms the complex science involved
into more simplified and easier to understand terms and examples. This is to help people without a technical education be able to
better grasp what the Directed Energy Weapons are (and what they are not, i.e., "Myth Busting"), and how they might be employed to
complement the current arsenal of Kinetic Energy Weapons (i.e., missiles, rockets, bombs, bullets, etc.). This course may also be
helpful to scientists and engineers who already have a background in one type of Directed Energy Weapon System (e.g., HEL), but
now are interested in learning the basics of another type of Directed Energy Weapon System (e.g., HPM) due to a change in assignment
or just because they simply want to broaden their knowledge background. The course also provides some real-world examples from past
HEL and HPM weapon systems programs, including pictures and videos.
Intended Audience: This course is intended for students without a technical background and serves as a basic introduction
to the operational characteristics of HEL and HPM weapon systems.
Instructor Biographies:
Dan Isbell brings a broad range of expertise and experience to the defense and technology industry with his 27 years of service in the US Air
Force. His insight comes from an educational background that includes a Master's degree in National Resource Strategy from the National
Defense University, a Master's degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace
Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. During his Air Force career he also completed flight school, test pilot school, Senior
Acquisition Manager's course, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and the professional military service schools.
Dan's formal education and training founded his broad experience in aircraft and weapons airworthiness certification and program
management, business development and integration, technology and engineering, fighter aircraft and special operations. His positions
include Chief, F-16 Systems Program Office, Commander of 514th Flight Test Squadron, Operations Research Systems Analyst for Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Program Analysis & Evaluation, Air Vehicle Program Manager for F/A-22 Systems Program Office, Chief of Weapon
System Sector and Technology Integration Lead for Battlefield Air Operations Kit National Team.
Bob Newton is an advanced systems developer with nearly 20-year DE experience. Currently he leads a defense technology company in
applying his over 35-years of US Air Force and commercial industry experience. Beginning with a technical education in Aerospace
Engineering from The Ohio State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, his mission perspective comes from F-16 fighter
and special operations. He is an acquisition professional and test pilot with over 4500 hours in over 60 types of aircraft. His
specific acquisition related responsibilities involved F-16 performance / flying qualities / avionics / sensors / weapons flight
test and airworthiness certification, F-22 program management, Air Force Material Command headquarters, Pentagon Air Staff, and
industry. He has commanded flying units and is a veteran of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM.
Last updated: 15 April 2023
