A rapidly-tuned, short-pulse-length, high-repetition-rate CO{sub 2} laser for IR dial

Analysis of noise sources in Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) in the infrared region of the spectrum indicates that the signal-to-noise ratio for direct detection can be improved if multiple-wavelength, short-pulse-length beams are transmitted and received at high repetition rates. Atmospheric effects can be minimized, albedo can be rapidly scanned, and uncorrelated speckle can be acquired at the maximum possible rate. A compact, rugged, RF-excited waveguide laser can produce 15 nanosecond pulses at a 100 kHz rate with sufficient energy per pulse to reach the speckle limit of the signal-to-noise ratio. A high-repetition-rate laser has been procured and will be used to verify these signal and noise scaling relationships at high repetition rates. Current line-tuning devices are mechanical and are capable of switching lines at a rate up to a few hundred Hertz. Acousto-optic modulators, deflectors or tunable filters can be substituted for these mechanical devices in the resonator of a CO{sub 2} laser and used to rapidly line-tune the laser across the 9 and 10 micron bands at a rate as high as 100 kHz. Several configurations for line tuning using acousto-optic and electro-optic devices with and without gratings are presented. The merits of and constraints on each design are also discussed. A pair of large aperture, acousto-optic deflectors has been purchased and the various line-tuning designs will be evaluated in a conventional, glass tube, CO{sub 2} laser, with a view to incorporation into the high-repetition-rate, waveguide laser. A computer model of the dynamics of an RF-excited, short-pulse-length, high-repetition-rate waveguide laser has been developed. The model will be used to test the consequences of various line-tuning designs