Abstract

We have constructed a compact, robust laser radar system using diode-pumped Tm:YAG. This system is designed to detect wind velocity and distance at ranges approaching 10 km from an airborne platform. The injection-seeded Q-switched laser produces 1 millijoule of single-frequency 2.015 pm energy. A separate CW single-frequency laser is offset frequency-locked to the injection-seeding CW laser, and is used as a local oscillator for heterodyne detection. This arrangement allows for the measurement of very high wind velocities, as the corresponding large Doppler shift can be nulled with the continuously-tunable local oscillator, thus overcoming the detector frequency response limitation. We present the design of this system and Doppler measurements of moving targets.

© 1993 Optical Society of America