A multi-wavelength IR laser for space applications

We present a laser technology development with space flight heritage to generate laser wavelengths in the near- to midinfrared (NIR to MIR) for space lidar applications. Integrating an optical parametric crystal to the LOLA (Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter) laser transmitter design affords selective laser wavelengths from NIR to MIR that are not easily obtainable from traditional diode pumped solid-state lasers. By replacing the output coupler of the LOLA laser with a properly designed parametric crystal, we successfully demonstrated a monolithic intra-cavity optical parametric oscillator (iOPO) laser based on all high technology readiness level (TRL) subsystems and components. Several desired wavelengths have been generated including 2.1 µm, 2.7 μm and 3.4 μm. This laser can also be used in trace-gas remote sensing, as many molecules possess their unique vibrational transitions in NIR to MIR wavelength region, as well as in time-of-flight mass spectrometer where desorption of samples using MIR laser wavelengths have been successfully demonstrated

[1]  Michel Papuchon,et al.  Intracavity optical parametric oscillator: study of the dynamics in pulsed regime , 1996 .

[2]  Yao Jianquan,et al.  Passively Q-Switched Quasi-Continuous-Wave Diode-Pumped Intracavity Optical Parametric Oscillator at 1.57 μm , 2008 .

[3]  Roger N. Clark,et al.  Detection of Adsorbed Water and Hydroxyl on the Moon , 2009, Science.

[4]  Anthony W. Yu,et al.  In space performance of the lunar orbiter laser altimeter (LOLA) laser transmitter , 2011, Remote Sensing.

[5]  Erwan Mazarico,et al.  Comparison of areas in shadow from imaging and altimetry in the north polar region of Mercury and implications for polar ice deposits. , 2016, Icarus.

[6]  David E. Smith,et al.  IJ Constraints on the volatile distribution within Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole , 2012 .

[7]  Jeffrey Guzek,et al.  The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) laser transmitter , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium.

[8]  Steven X. Li,et al.  Advanced laser architecture for the two-step laser tandem mass spectrometer , 2016, Defense + Security.

[9]  Stephen E. Harris,et al.  Theory of optical parametric oscillation internal to the laser cavity , 1968 .

[10]  王鹏,et al.  Passively Q-Switched Quasi-Continuous-Wave Diode-Pumped Intracavity Optical Parametric Oscillator at 1.57 μm , 2008 .

[11]  Gerald Fortney.  A private conversation , 1997 .

[12]  P B Phua,et al.  Compact 21-W 2-mum intracavity optical parametric oscillator. , 2000, Optics letters.

[13]  Xiaodong Mu,et al.  Optical parametric oscillations of 2 microm in multiple-layer bonded walk-off compensated KTP stacks. , 2010, Optics letters.