100 Watt Average Power CO2 Laser System for Pulsed Coherent Lidar Applications

Pulsed coherent Doppler lidars operating at CO2 wavelengths have shown considerable promise for remote measurement of wind velocities. Range and data rates are limited at present by the single pulse energy and repetition rates available from current generation pulsed CO2 lasers. Recently, we have undertaken the development of a laser system for pulsed lidar application which is capable of producing 2 Joule pulses at a 50 Hz repetition rate. This laser will be installed in the NOAA ground-based Doppler lidar system.1 The laser system is designed to be tunable over a wide range of lines, including the 9 μm band of CO2, and to allow pulse length variability, which is relevant to DIAL applications. The laser system includes a cw local oscillator which is frequency locked to the transmitted pulse for use in the heterodyne receiver. Table 1 summarizes the specifications of the system under construction.