Tunable 2.1-,microm Ho lidar for simultaneous range-resolved measurements of atmospheric water vapor and aerosol backscatter profiles

WSe2/BN heterostructure as saturable absorber for a diode-pumped passively Q-switched 2 µm solid-state laser

We have successfully achieved the synthesis of heterojunction consisting of WSe2 and BN, by using a liquid phase exfoliation method, and characterization of the prepared materials under the microstructure. The WSe2/BN heterojunction was used as a saturable absorber in the Tm:YAP laser for passively Q-switched operation, and a pulsed laser with an output wavelength around 2 µm range was successfully obtained. After comparing the effects of resonators composed of different cavity mirrors, it is concluded that when the curvature radius of the input mirror is 250 mm and the transmittance of the output coupler is 2.5%, the best output performance was obtained. The maximum average output power of 834 mW was achieved, with a pulsed repetition frequency of 43.51 kHz and a minimum pulse duration of 1.28 µs, corresponding to a peak power of 14.97 W and a maximum single pulse energy of 19.17 µJ.

Evaluation of a coherent 2-µm differential absorption lidar for water vapor and radial wind velocity measurements

The performance of a coherent 2-µm differential absorption lidar (DIAL) for simultaneously measuring water vapor (H₂O) and radial wind velocity was evaluated. For measuring H₂O, a wavelength locking technique was applied to the H₂O-DIAL system. The H₂O-DIAL system was evaluated under summer daytime conditions in Tokyo, Japan. H₂O-DIAL measurements were compared with measurements from radiosondes. The H₂O-DIAL-derived volumetric humidity values agreed with the radiosonde-derived values over the range from 11 to 20 g/m³ with a correlation coefficient of 0.81 and a root-mean-square difference of 1.46 g/m³. Comparisons between the H₂O-DIAL and the in-situ surface meteorological sensors demonstrated the simultaneous measurement of H₂O and radial wind velocity.

Wavelength Dependence of Backscatter by use of Aerosol Microphysics and Lidar Data Sets: Application to 2.1- mum Wavelength for Space-Based and Airborne Lidars

An aerosol microphysics dataset was used to model backscatter in the 0.35-11-mum wavelength range, with the results validated by comparison with measured cw and pulsed lidar backscatter obtained during two NASA-sponsored airborne field experiments. Different atmospheric features were encountered, with aerosol backscatter ranging over 4 orders of magnitude. Modeled conversion functions were used to convert existing lidar backscatter datasets to 2.1 mum. Resulting statistical distribution shows the midtropospheric aerosol backscatter background mode of beta(2.1) to be between ~3.0 x 10(-10) and ~1.3 x 10(-9) m(-1) sr(-1), ~10-20 times higher than that for beta(9.1); and a beta(2.1) boundary layer mode of ~1.0 x 10(-7) to ~1.3 x 10(-6) m(-1) sr(-1), ~3-5 times higher than beta(9.1).

Sensitivity analysis of differential absorption lidar measurements in the mid-infrared region

The availability of new laser sources that are tunable in the IR spectral region opens new perspectives for differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurements. A region of particular interest is located in the near IR, where some of the atmospheric pollutants have absorption lines that permit monitoring of emissions from industrial plants and in urban areas. In DIAL measurements, the absorption lines for the species to be measured must be carefully chosen to prevent interference from other molecules, to minimize the dependence of the absorption cross section on temperature, and to optimize the measurements with respect to the optical depth. We analyze the influence of these factors and discuss a set of criteria for selecting the best pairs of wavelengths (lambda(on) and lambda(off)) to be used in DIAL measurements of several molecular species (HCl, CO, CO(2), NO(2), CH(4), H(2)O, and O(2)). Moreover, a sensitivity study has been carried out for selected lines in three different regimes: clean air, urban polluted air, and emission from an incinerator stack.

Frequency Stabilization of a Ho:Tm:YLF Laser to Absorption Lines of Carbon Dioxide

A single-frequency Ho:Tm:YLF laser, operating at an eye-safe wavelength of 2 mum, has been developed with tuning characteristics optimized for spectroscopy of absorption features. The laser frequency was stabilized to three different absorption lines of carbon dioxide by a wavelength modulation technique. Long-term frequency drift has been eliminated from the laser, and shorter-term jitter has been reduced to within 13.5 MHz of the absorption line center. This stabilized laser is an ideal injection seed source for a differential absorption lidar system for measurement of atmospheric gases.

Ground-based differential absorption lidar for water-vapor and temperature profiling: development and specifications of a high-performance laser transmitter

An all-solid-state laser transmitter for a water-vapor and temperature differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system in the near infrared is introduced. The laser system is based on a master-slave configuration. As the slave laser a Q-switched unidirectional alexandrite ring laser is used, which is injection seeded by the master laser, a cw Ti:sapphire ring laser. It is demonstrated that this laser system has, what is to my knowledge, the highest frequency stability (15 MHz rms), narrowest bandwidth (<40 MHz), and highest spectral purity (>99.99%) of all the laser transmitters developed to date in the near infrared. These specifications fulfill the requirements for water-vapor measurements with an error caused by laser properties of <5% and temperature measurements with an error caused by laser properties of <1 K in the whole troposphere. The specifications are maintained during long-term operation in the field. The single-mode operation of this laser system makes the narrow-band detection of the DIAL backscatter signal possible. Thus the system has the potential to be used for accurate temperature measurements and for simultaneous DIAL and Doppler wind measurements.

Intrapulse temporal and wavelength shifts of a high-power 2.1-µm Ho:YAG laser and their potential influence on atmospheric lidar measurements

A high-power, flash-lamp-pumped, Q-switched Ho:YAG laser has been developed to produce up to 150 mJ in a 100-ns Q-switched pulse. The Ho laser was initially used in a direct detection lidar-differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system to measure vertical density profiles of aerosols and water vapor in the atmosphere. It was found, however, that the Ho laser operated simultaneously on two closely spaced spectral emission wavelengths (2.090 and 2.097 µm) and that the distribution of energy between the two wavelengths could change significantly on time scales of several seconds to minutes. Such intrapulse temporal and wavelength shifts were found to alter the atmospheric lidar return significantly because one of the laser lines coincided with a water vapor absorption line in the atmosphere. This laser spectral output problem was overcome by the use of intracavity étalons that controlled the laser spectral-temporal characteristics but reduced the laser output energy to approximately 75 mJ/pulse in a 100-ns pulse length. These results are important as they serve to point out the difficulties of developing and using a high-power 2.1- µm Ho laser for atmospheric lidar when high-resolution spectral and temporal characteristics can significantly influence the lidar return and be misinterpreted as resulting from atmospheric signals.

Airborne remote sensing of tropospheric water vapor with a near-infrared differential absorption lidar system

A near-infrared airborne differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system has become operational. Horizontal and vertical water vapor profiles of the troposphere during summer (nighttime) conditions extending from the top of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) up to near the tropopause are investigated. These measurements have been performed in Southern Bavaria, Germany. The system design, the frequency control units, and an estimation of the laser line profile of the narrow-band dye laser are discussed. Effective absorption cross sections in terms of altitude are calculated. Statistical and systematic errors of the water vapor measurements are evaluated as a function of altitude. The effect of a systematic range-dependent error caused by molecular absorption is investigated by comparing the DIAL data with in situ measurements. Typical horizontal resolutions range from 4 km in the lower troposphere to 11 km in the upper troposphere, with vertical resolutions varying from 0.3 to 1 km, respectively. The lower limit of the sensitivity of the water vapor mixing ratio is calculated to be 0.01 g/kg. The total errors of these measurements range between 8% and 25%. A sine-shaped wave structure with a wavelength of 14 km and an amplitude of 20% of its mean value, detected in the lower troposphere, indicates an atmospheric gravity wave field.