Recent Research and Development of 2-μM Laser for Future Space-Based Doppler Wind Lidar in Japan

Global three-dimensional wind measurement is important for weather prediction’ climate studies’ and various meteorological studies. Current space-based passive sensors can make wind measurements with a large coverage area and high temporal and horizontal resolutions but has a low vertical resolution. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) wants to develop space-based wind profiling systems. A space-based Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) is one of useful and promising remote sensing techniques to fill the gap of current observations. The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) is developing a single-frequency high-energy Tm,Ho:YLF laser, 1-μm key technology and instrument for a future space-based coherent DWL. In the paper’ we will describe recent progress and results of development of 1-μm key technology.