Author:
McGuckin B.T.,Menzies R.T.
Abstract
Eyesafe 2μm holmium lasers are regarded as promising sources for use in Doppler wind sensing [1,2], DIAL water vapor profiling [3] and airborne Doppler velocimeters, which are potentially attractive in aerospace sensor applications. Comparative assessments of Earth-orbiting Doppler lidar methods for global wind measurements conclude that the overall performance efficiency of coherent Doppler lidars is not strongly wavelength dependent [4]. Therefore, for next generation instruments, a diode-pumped solid-state transmitter operating at an eyesafe wavelength would proffer the potential benefits of extended lifetime and lower mass over pulsed CO2 systems, currently the most favored candidates for such use on the grounds of more mature development. These applications motivate further investigation of this laser technology.