Thirty Millijoule Single Frequency 2 Micron Fiber Lasers for Coherent Wind Lidar

The NASA’s Doppler Aerosol WiNd (DAWN) lidar system needs a pulsed single frequency laser operating near 2 micron lase wavelength. We propose a new type of Tm-doped fiber for this application. The overall objective of this proposal is to demonstrate and build a single frequency near 2 micron fiber laser with pulse energy of greater than 30mJ. Tm-doped gain fiber with excellent radiation resistance against high energy radiation will be used. This proposed laser will be all-fiber PM laser with a beam quality of 1.2. In Phase II we will demonstrate and deliver a packaged 1.98 micron single frequency fiber laser with 10mJ pulse energy to NASA.

NASA needs single frequency high pulse energy 2 micron fiber laser for wind Lidar applications. This 1.97715 micron single frequency fiber laser can enable many NASA’s measurements because of the high transmission. This technology can also be extended to 2.05 micron CO2 band when Ho-doped fiber is used.

This eye-safe laser source can be used to build commercial lidar for ranging and surface topography, for fiber optical sensing, fast scanning biomedical imaging, and scientific research. Such a fiber laser is of great interest because of the potential possibility of combining high efficiency, high output power, and retina safety together for commercial and military applications.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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