Coherent differential absorption lidar measurements of CO2

2.7 μm backward wave optical parametric oscillator source for CO2 spectroscopy

In this work, a novel 2.7 µm source used for CO2 and H2O vapor spectroscopy using the backward propagating wave of a backward wave optical parametric oscillator (BWOPO) is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. The unique properties of BWOPOs eliminate the need for additional spectral narrowing or wavelength stabilization, enabling the use of a multi-longitudinal mode Q-switched pump laser centered around 1030 nm. A full characterization of the source is presented, revealing a central output at 2712 nm, showcasing a temperature tuning of -1.77 GHz/K, and achieving an output pulse energy of 2.3 µJ. Novel methods are introduced for measuring the linewidth and wavelength stability using the ambient laboratory air. These approaches demonstrate a narrow output of 43 pm and establish an upper limit of stability at 65 MHz, with no active means of stabilization. These findings underscore the potential of BWOPOs as a robust platform for future differential absorption lidar (DIAL) systems.

Simulation and analysis of the CO2 range-resolved differential absorption lidar system at 2 μm

The range-resolved differential absorption lidar is a high-precision device to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide. This paper provides a system-wide theoretical analysis method for the performance analysis and parameter optimization of the lidar system using the given parameter range. The scattered echo signal, signal-to-noise ratio, and detection sensitivity were simulated by setting assumed parameters with the HITRAN 2020 database and the US 1976 standard atmosphere model to analyze the detection distance and concentration resolution of the lidar system. The effects of the laser energy, repetition frequency, and photodetector noise were also discussed. The wavelength selection near the absorption line is critical because it controls the height region of the highest sensitivity and the demands on frequency stability. Recommendations for the selection of absorption lines are provided in this paper. A quantitative analysis of each error source provided reasonable error ranges.

Three-dimensional detection of CO2 and wind using a 1.57 µm coherent differential absorption lidar

A 1.57-µm coherent differential absorption lidar is demonstrated for measuring three-dimensional CO2 and wind fields simultaneously. The maximum detection range of CO2 is up to 6 km with a range resolution of 120 m and a time resolution of 1 min. A preliminary assessment of instrument performance is made with a 1-week continuous observation. The CO2 concentration over a column from 1920 to 2040 m is compared with the one measured by an optical cavity ring-down spectrometer placed on a 2 km-away meteorological tower. The concentration is strongly correlated with the in-situ spectrometer with a correlation coefficient and RMSE of 0.91 and 5.24 ppm. The measurement accuracy of CO2 is specified with a mean and standard deviation of 2.05 ppm and 7.18 ppm, respectively. The regional CO2 concentration and the three-dimensional wind fields are obtained through different scanning modes. Further analysis is conducted on vertical mixing and horizontal transport of CO2 by combining with the measured wind fields.

Wavelength-tunable Tm:Y2O3 ceramic vortex laser with a changeable orbital angular momentum state

Wavelength-tunable orbital angular momentum (OAM) lasers with controllable topological charges have the potential for serving as light sources for large-capacity optical communication by combining conventional wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) with OAM mode-division multiplexing (OAM-MDM). In this study, we demonstrate a wavelength-tunable Tm-bulk laser that can control OAM states in the 2-µm spectral range. The excitation conditions for different Laguerre-Gaussian (L G 0,l ) modes in a bulk laser cavity are theoretically determined by measuring the spatial propagation dynamics of the annular pump beam. As a proof-of-principle study, we experimentally generate OAM states of |ℏ| and |2ℏ| from a T m:Y 2 O 3 ceramic laser with a tunable emission wavelength using a Lyot filter (LF). The spatial properties of the scalar optical vortices are well conserved during wavelength tuning, indicating the feasibility of our approach for producing wavelength-tunable structured light. These OAM laser sources, which are characterized by their robustness and compactness, have potential applications in various areas such as optical communications, quantum optics, super-resolution microscopes, and more.

The role of lanthanide luminescence in advancing technology

Our society is indebted to the numerous inventors and scientists who helped bring about the incredible technological advances in modern society that we all take for granted. The importance of knowing the history of these inventions is often underestimated, although our reliance on technology is escalating. Lanthanide luminescence has paved the way for many of these inventions, from lighting and displays to medical advancements and telecommunications. Given the significant role of these materials in our daily lives, knowingly or not, their past and present applications are reviewed. A majority of the discussion is devoted to pointing out the benefits of using lanthanides over other luminescent species. We aimed to give a short outlook outlines promising directions for the development of the considered field. This review aims to provide the reader enough content to further appreciate the benefits that these technologies have brought into our lives, with the perspective of travelling among the past and latest advances in lanthanide research, aiming for an even brighter future.

Laser-diode-pumped Tm:SrF2 single crystal for high efficiency CW laser operation at ∼2 µm

A Tm:SrF₂ single crystal is grown by a modified temperature gradient technique (TGT). A study of the fluorescence characteristics and laser performance is carried out. Under laser-diode (LD) end-pumping, a continuous-wave (CW) laser is demonstrated. A slope efficiency of up to 81.8% is first achieved in the Tm-doped single crystals, which is extremely close to the photon quantum efficiency of 2.00. Such a high photon quantum efficiency is caused by the effective cross-relaxation process between Tm³⁺ ions. A maximum output power of 4.082 W is also obtained. The laser performance indicates that Tm:SrF₂ is a promising candidate for highly efficient ∼2 µm lasers.

Ho:LuAG single crystal fiber: growth, spectroscopy and laser characteristics

Lutetium aluminum garnet single-crystal fiber (SCF, ∼ Φ 0.9 mm - 165 mm) doped with 0.5 at.% Ho³⁺ has been grown by the micro-pulling-down (µ-PD) technique. The room-temperature absorption and emission spectra exhibit similar features to the bulk crystal. Laser performances of the SCFs with two different pump configurations, i.e., pump guiding and free-space propagation, are studied by employing a 1.9-µm laser diode and a high-brightness fiber laser, respectively. Laser slope efficiencies obtained with both pump configurations can be higher than 50%, and a maximum output power of 6.01 W is achieved at ∼ 2.09 µm with the former pump. The comparable efficiency to the high-brightness pump is an indication of that high laser performance can also be expected through pump-guiding in the SCF even with a low pump beam quality.

Dual-band switched unidirectional Ho:YLF ring laser with wavelength tunability

Tunable single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) ring Ho:YLF laser with intra-cavity isolator is investigated for 2.05 µm and 2.06 µm band based on single resonator, which is realized dual-band SLM laser conversion by a polarizer. Up to 548 mW SLM power with beam quality factor M² of 1.1 is achieved at wavelength of 2064.63 nm, and the corresponding slope efficiency is 26.7%. Wavelength tuning ranges from 2063.91 nm to 2065.71 nm and 2050.65nm to 2053.15nm can be demonstrated. The highest SLM power around P12 and R30 CO₂ absorption peak of 2064.41 nm and 2050.96 nm are 540 mW and 500 mW, respectively. The power instability within 30 minutes is around 0.14%. As we know, dual-band switched Ho:YLF laser operation at SLM with wavelength tunability is reported for the first time for the potential application of CO₂ differential absorption lidar.

Monitoring of Selected CBRN Threats in the Air in Industrial Areas with the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play an increasingly important role in various areas of life, including in terms of protection and security. As a result of fires, volcanic eruptions, or other emergencies, huge amounts of toxic gases, dust, and other substances are emitted into the environment, which, together with high temperature, often leads to serious environmental contamination. Based on the available literature and patent databases, an analysis of the available UAVs models was carried out in terms of their applicability in air contaminated conditions in industrial areas, in the event of emergencies, such as fire, chemical contamination. The possibilities of using the devices were analyzed in terms of weather conditions, construction, and used materials in CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) threat situations. It was found that, thanks to the use of appropriate sensors, cameras, and software of UAVs integrated with a given system, it is possible to obtain information on air quality at a given moment, which is very important for the safety of people and the environment. However, several elements, including the possibility of use in acidification conditions, requires refinement to changing crisis conditions.

Tunable twisted-mode Ho:YAG laser at continuous-wave and pulsed operation

A single-longitudinal-mode Ho:YAG laser with a twisted-mode cavity under the continuous-wave and pulsed operation was demonstrated. The maximum continuous-wave single-longitudinal-mode output power of 0.76 W was obtained at the wavelength of 2097.46 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 28.9%. The output wavelength was tuned from 2096.94 nm to 2098.48 nm by utilizing a 0.5-mm-thick etalon. Furthermore, the single-frequency pulsed operation of the twisted-mode Ho:YAG laser was realized by the electro-optic switch. For the 2 kHz pulse repetition frequency, the single-frequency pulse energy reached 0.2 mJ with the pulse width of 116.5 ns. The beam quality factors M² of the pulsed twisted-mode Ho:YAG laser in the x and y directions were 1.15 and 1.10, respectively.

Demonstration of the 1.53-µm coherent DIAL for simultaneous profiling of water vapor density and wind speed

The 1.53-µm coherent differential absorption lidar (DIAL) is demonstrated for the simultaneous profiling of water vapor (H₂O) density and wind speed. The optical setup is fiber-based. The wavelength locking circuit can achieve precise locking of 13.0 MHz by the combination of the line center locking to the hydrogen cyanide (HCN) absorption line and offset locking to the H₂O absorption wavelength. The measurable range for the simultaneous profiling is up to 1.2 km. The DIAL-measured H₂O density is compared with the one measured by an in-situ sensor. Qualitative good agreement is shown with the random error of 0.56 g/m³.

Performance assessment of a coherent DIAL-Doppler fiber lidar at 1645 nm for remote sensing of methane and wind

We report on the performances of a coherent DIAL/Doppler fiber lidar called VEGA, allowing for simultaneous measurements of methane and wind atmospheric profiles. It features a 10µJ, 200 ns, 20 kHz fiber pulsed laser emitter at 1645 nm, and it has been designed to monitor industrial methane leaks and fugitive emissions in the environment. The system performance has been assessed for range-resolved (RR) and integrated-path (IP) methane measurements in natural background conditions (i.e. ambient methane level). For RR measurements, the measured Allan deviation at τ=10 s is in the range of 3-20 ppm, depending of the aerosol load, at a distance of 150 m, with 30 m range resolution, and a beam focused around 150-200 m. For IP measurements, using a natural target at 2.2 km of distance, the Allan deviation at τ=10 s is in the range of 100-200 ppb. In both cases, deviation curves decrease as τ^-1/2, up to 1000 seconds for the longest averaging time. Finally, the lidar ability to monitor an industrial methane leak is demonstrated during a field test.

High-efficiency ∼2 µm CW laser operation of LD-pumped Tm3+:CaF2 single-crystal fibers

The Tm:CaF₂ single-crystal fibers were successfully grown by modified temperature gradient technique method. The J-O intensity parameters, spontaneous radiative transition rates, radiative lifetimes and fluorescence branching ratios of Tm³⁺ were calculated with Judd-Ofelt theory. A systematic study of the fluorescence characteristics has been carried out. Simulated emission cross-sections of the ³F₄ → ³H₆ transition were calculated to be 6.68×10^-21 cm^-2 and 4.65×10^-21cm^-2 for crystal doped with 3 at.% and 4 at.% Tm³⁺. The 64.4% slope efficiency with output power of 2.23W was achieved in 3 at.% Tm:CaF₂ single-crystal fiber. The slope efficiency decreased to 44.5% and maximum output power decreased to 1.65W in 4 at.% Tm:CaF₂ single-crystal fiber. Obtained results show that Tm-doped CaF₂ single-crystal fibers are promising materials for IR laser action generation.

Dual-wavelength injection-seeded Q-switched Ho:YLF laser for CO2 differential absorption lidar application

A dual-wavelength injection-seeded Q-switched Ho:YLF laser for CO₂ differential absorption lidar pumped by the thulium-doped fiber laser was demonstrated. The single-frequency Ho:YLF seed laser was achieved by a pair of highly anti-misalignment corner cubes. The wavelength of an online seed laser was corrected to the P12 CO₂ absorption line at 2064.414 nm by using a CO₂ absorption cell. At the pulse repetition frequency of 100 Hz, the single-frequency pulsed energy was 16.1 mJ with the pulse width of 221.3 ns after a single-pass amplifier. The full width at half-maximum of a single-frequency pulsed spectrum was about 3.87 MHz, and the fluctuation of center frequency was 2.8 MHz in 30 min.

Single-longitudinal-mode Ho:YVO4 MOPA system with a passively Q-switched unidirectional ring oscillator

A 2052.96 nm single-longitudinal-mode pulsed Ho:YVO₄ MOPA system was demonstrated for the first time. The pulsed Ho:YVO₄ MOPA system consisted of a unidirectional ring passively Q-switched oscillator and a single-pass amplifier. By inserting an isolator, a half-wave plate and a Cr²⁺:ZnS plate into the ring Ho:YVO₄ oscillator cavity, the single-longitudinal-mode pulsed laser was achieved with an average output power of 1.02 W with pulse width of 910 ns and pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 67 kHz. Using the residual (non-absorbed) pump power of the oscillator as pump, the single-pass pulsed Ho:YVO₄ amplifier obtained an average output power of 1.67 W. The total optical-to-optical efficiency of the pulsed Ho:YVO₄ MOPA system was 14.3%. Single-longitudinal-mode pulsed MOPA system based on isolator and Cr²⁺:ZnS around 2 µm has not been reported yet to the best of our knowledge.

Non-equilibrium dynamics in the dual-wavelength operation of vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers

Microscopic many-body theory coupled with Maxwell's equation is used to study dual-wavelength operation in vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers. The intrinsically dynamic nature of coexisting emission wavelengths in semiconductor lasers is associated with characteristic non-equilibrium carrier dynamics, which causes significant deformations of the quasi-equilibrium gain and carrier inversion. Extended numerical simulations are employed to efficiently investigate the parameter space to identify the regime for dual-wavelength operation. Using a frequency selective intracavity etalon, two families of modes are stabilized with dynamical interchange of the strongest emission peaks. For this operation mode, anti-correlated intensity noise is observed in agreement with the experiment. A method using effective frequency selective filtering is suggested for stabilization of genuine dual-wavelength output.

110.4 mJ, 1 kHz repetition rate, Ho:YAG master oscillator power amplifier

We reported a high-energy, high-pulse-repetition-frequency Ho:YAG master oscillator and power amplifier (MOPA), which was resonantly dual-end pumped by Tm:YLF lasers at room temperature. At a pulse repetition frequency of 1 kHz, the Ho:YAG MOPA laser system produced a maximum pulse energy of 110.4 mJ with a 28 ns pulse width, corresponding to a peak power of approximately 3.94 MW. The output wavelength of the Ho:YAG MOPA laser system was 2090.9 nm. In addition, a beam quality factor M² of about 1.7 was achieved at maximum output level.

Comparison of CO₂ Vertical Profiles in the Lower Troposphere between 1.6 µm Differential Absorption Lidar and Aircraft Measurements Over Tsukuba

A 1.6 μm differential absorption Lidar (DIAL) system for measurement of vertical CO₂ mixing ratio profiles has been developed. A comparison of CO₂ vertical profiles measured by the DIAL system and an aircraft in situ sensor in January 2014 over the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) in Tsukuba, Japan, is presented. The DIAL measurement was obtained at an altitude range of between 1.56 and 3.60 km with a vertical resolution of 236 m (below 3 km) and 590 m (above 3 km) at an average error of 1.93 ppm. An in situ sensor for cavity ring-down spectroscopy of CO₂ was installed in an aircraft. CO₂ mixing ratio measured by DIAL and the aircraft sensor ranged from 398.73 to 401.36 ppm and from 399.08 to 401.83 ppm, respectively, with an average difference of -0.94 ± 1.91 ppm below 3 km and -0.70 ± 1.98 ppm above 3 km between the two measurements.

Lidar mapping of atmospheric atomic mercury in the Wanshan area, China

A novel mobile laser radar system was used for mapping gaseous atomic mercury (Hg⁰) atmospheric pollution in the Wanshan district, south of Tongren City, Guizhou Province, China. This area is heavily impacted by legacy mercury from now abandoned mining activities. Differential absorption lidar measurements were supplemented by localized point monitoring using a Lumex RA-915M Zeeman modulation mercury analyzer. Range-resolved concentration measurements in different directions were performed. Concentrations in the lower atmospheric layers often exceeded levels of 100 ng/m³ for March conditions with temperature ranging from 5 °C to 20 °C. A flux measurement of Hg⁰ over a vertical cross section of 0.12 km² resulted in about 29 g/h. Vertical lidar sounding at night revealed quickly falling Hg⁰ concentrations with height. This is the first lidar mapping demonstration in a heavily mercury-polluted area in China, illustrating the lidar potential in complementing point monitors.

High-efficiency 2 μm continuous-wave laser in laser diode-pumped Tm3+, La3+: CaF2 single crystal

A Tm³⁺, La³⁺:  CaF₂ single crystal was grown, and its spectral properties and laser performance were investigated. Under diode end-pumping, a continuous-wave laser has been demonstrated. The slope efficiency of up to 67.8% was first achieved in the co-doping crystal, which is close to twice the theoretical quantum efficiency. A maximum output power of 4.269 W and a broad tunable range of 192 nm were also obtained, indicating this system is a promising candidate for highly efficient ∼2  μm lasers.

Improvement of CO₂-DIAL Signal-to-Noise Ratio Using Lifting Wavelet Transform

Atmospheric CO₂ plays an important role in controlling climate change and its effect on the carbon cycle. However, detailed information on the dynamics of CO₂ vertical mixing remains lacking, which hinders the accurate understanding of certain key features of the carbon cycle. Differential absorption lidar (DIAL) is a promising technology for CO₂ detection due to its characteristics of high precision, high time resolution, and high spatial resolution. Ground-based CO₂-DIAL can provide the continuous observations of the vertical profile of CO₂ concentration, which can be highly significant to gaining deeper insights into the rectification effect of CO₂, the ratio of respiration photosynthesis, and the CO₂ dome in urban areas. A set of ground-based CO₂-DIAL systems were developed by our team and highly accurate long-term laboratory experiments were conducted. Nonetheless, the performance suffered from low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in field explorations because of decreasing aerosol concentrations with increasing altitude and surrounding interference according to the results of our experiments in Wuhan and Huainan. The concentration of atmospheric CO₂ is derived from the difference of signals between on-line and off-line wavelengths; thus, low SNR will cause the superimposition of the final inversion error. In such a situation, an efficient and accurate denoising algorithm is critical for a ground-based CO₂-DIAL system, particularly in field experiments. In this study, a method based on lifting wavelet transform (LWT) for CO₂-DIAL signal denoising was proposed. This method, which is an improvement of the traditional wavelet transform, can select different predictive and update functions according to the characteristics of lidar signals, thereby making it suitable for the signal denoising of CO₂-DIAL. Experiment analyses were conducted to evaluate the denoising effect of LWT. For comparison, ensemble empirical mode decomposition denoising was also performed on the same lidar signal. In addition, this study calculated the coefficient of variation (CV) at the same altitude among multiple original signals within 10 min and then performed the same calculation on the denoised signal. Finally, high-quality signal of ground-based CO₂-DIAL was obtained using the LWT denoising method. The differential absorption optical depths of the denoised signals obtained via LWT were calculated, and the profile distribution information of CO₂ concentration was acquired during field detection by using our developed CO₂-DIAL systems.

Performances of a HGCDTE APD based direct detection lidar at 2 μm. Application to dial measurements

A lidar receiver with a direct detection chain adapted to a HgCdTe APD based detector with electric cooling is associated to a 2.05 μm Ho :YLF pulsed dual wavelength single mode transmitter to provide the first atmospheric lidar measurements using this technology. Experiments confirm the outstanding sensitivity of the detector and hightligth its huge potential for DIAL measurements of trace gas (CO2 and H2O) in this spectral domain. Performances of coherent vs direct detection at 2.05 μm is assessed.

2 μm Doppler wind lidar with a Tm:fiber-laser-pumped Ho:YLF laser

A 2 μm Ho-doped ytrrium lithium fluoride (Ho:YLF) laser end-pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:fiber laser was developed. A laser system of a ring resonator oscillator and amplifier was operated at repetition rates of 200-5000 Hz at room temperature. The Q-switched outputs were 7.4 W at 5000 Hz and 4.25 W at 200 Hz. Injection seeding was applied to the ring resonator, and single-mode laser emission was obtained. The Tm:fiber-laser-pumped Ho:YLF laser was first used for Doppler wind lidar measurements, and wind profiles were obtained up to ranges of about 15 km in a range resolution of 96 m and an integration time of 1 s.

140 μm single-polarization passive fully aperiodic large-pitch fibers operating near 2 μm

In this paper, we demonstrate a single-polarization feature out of passive very-large-mode-area fully aperiodic large-pitch fibers. It has been previously shown theoretically that one of the two polarizations of the fundamental mode is selectively coupled to a cladding mode. This coupling does not require fiber bending, which permits us to avoid any decrease in mode effective area. The coupling is achieved owing to boron-doped silica inclusions implemented into the microstructured cladding and acting as stress-applying parts. This mechanism has been assessed experimentally in this work using fibers of two different core diameters: 60 μm and 140 μm, providing mode field areas of 3637  μm² and 14,590  μm², respectively, at 1942 nm. The tested fibers have a length of 45 cm and an outer diameter exceeding 1 mm, yielding rod-type fibers. Each sample has been characterized using an unpolarized laser source emitting at 1942 nm. This laser, based on a thulium-doped large-mode-area step-index fiber, has a spectral bandwidth of about 0.5 nm. After passing through a piece of the passive fiber, a polarization extinction ratio higher than 16 dB has been achieved.

Heterodyne high-spectral-resolution lidar

In this work, a novel lidar technique to perform high-spectral-resolution measurements of the atmospheric backscatter is discussed and the first results are presented. The proposed method, which relies on a heterodyne detection receiver, allows us not only to separate the molecular and the aerosol component of the atmospheric backscatter, but also to investigate the spectral shape of the Rayleigh-Brillouin line. As in the case of the direct-detection high-spectral-resolution lidars, the separation of the different scattering processes would allow an independent system calibration and aerosol extinction measurements. The proposed retrieval technique was successfully tested on the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt airborne Doppler wind lidar system with measurements conducted during different measurement campaigns and under different atmospheric conditions. In light of these results, further ideas for the implementation of a dedicated heterodyne high-spectral-resolution lidar are discussed.

Evaluation of a HgCdTe e-APD based detector for 2 μm CO2 DIAL application

Benefiting from close to ideal amplification properties (high gain, low dark current, and low excess noise factor), HgCdTe electron initiated avalanche photodiode (e-APD) technology exhibits state of the art sensitivity, thus being especially relevant for applications relying on low light level detection, such as LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In addition, the tunable gap of the Hg_1-xCd_xTe alloy enables coverage of the short wavelength infrared (SWIR) and especially the 2 μm spectral range. For these two reasons, a HgCdTe e-APD based detector is a promising candidate for future differential absorption LIDAR missions targeting greenhouse gas absorption bands in SWIR. In this study, we report on the design and evaluation of such a HgCdTe e-APD based detector. The first part focuses on detector architecture and performance. Key figures of merit are: 2.8 μm cutoff wavelength, 200 μm diameter almost circular sensitive area, 185 K operating temperature (thermo-electric cooling), 22 APD gain (at 12 V reverse bias), 360  kΩ transimpedance gain, and 60  fWHz^-0.5 noise equivalent power (at 12 V reverse bias). The second part presents an analysis of atmospheric LIDAR signals obtained by mounting the HgCdTe e-APD based detector on the 2 μm differential absorption LIDAR developed at the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique and dedicated to CO₂ monitoring. Discussion emphasizes random and systematic errors in LIDAR measurements regarding breadboard detector characterization. In particular, we investigate the influence of parasitic tails in detector impulse response on short range DIAL measurements.

Growth and lasing performance of a Tm,Y:CaF2 crystal

A Tm³⁺ ion and Y³⁺ ion co-doped CaF₂ crystal was grown and characterized, in which spectral and lasing performance was presented for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Under diode end-pumping, in a continuous-wave regime, maximum output power of 453 mW was delivered under an absorption pump power of 2.5 W, corresponding to an optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 17.9% and a slope efficiency of 21%. With a birefringent quartz plate, wavelength-tunable operation with a tunable range of more than 190 nm was realized. The results show that Tm,Y:CaF₂ is a promising laser crystal operating in a spectral region ranging from 1850 nm to 2050 nm.

Nd3+, Ho3+-codoped garnet-related Li7La3Hf2O12 phosphor with NIR luminescence

Simultaneous emission lines around 1.05μm, 1.3μm, 1.8μm, 2.1μm and 2.7μm have been observed in Li₇La_3-xNd_xHf₂O₁₂:Ho³⁺ (x=0.00-0.15) under 808nm laser diode excitation. Near-infrared luminescence due to holmium ions with residual concentration in the Li₇La₃Hf₂O₁₂ host has been studied. The intensity of 2.1 and 2.7μm lines associated with ⁵I₇→⁵I₈ and ⁵I₆→⁵I₇ transitions in Ho³⁺ depends on the neodymium codopant concentration. This result indicates that Nd³⁺ ions can be potentially used as sensitizers for Ho³⁺ ions to stimulate the intense near-infrared emission in this system. Possible energy transfer mechanisms between lanthanide ions have been briefly discussed.

Analysis of a random modulation single photon counting differential absorption lidar system for space-borne atmospheric CO2 sensing

The ability to observe the Earth's carbon cycles from space provides scientists an important tool to analyze climate change. Current proposed systems are mainly based on pulsed integrated path differential absorption lidar, in which two high energy pulses at different wavelengths interrogate the atmosphere sequentially for its transmission properties and are back-scattered by the ground. In this work an alternative approach based on random modulation single photon counting is proposed and analyzed; this system can take advantage of a less power demanding semiconductor laser in intensity modulated continuous wave operation, benefiting from a better efficiency, reliability and radiation hardness. Our approach is validated via numerical simulations considering current technological readiness, demonstrating its potential to obtain a 1.5 ppm retrieval precision for 50 km averaging with 2.5 W average power in a space-borne scenario. A major limiting factor is the ambient shot noise, if ultra-narrow band filtering technology could be applied, 0.5 ppm retrieval precision would be attainable.

Ground-based, integrated path differential absorption LIDAR measurement of CO2, CH4, and H2O near 1.6 μm

A ground-based, integrated path, differential absorption light detection and ranging (IPDA LIDAR) system is described and characterized for a series of nighttime studies of CO₂, CH₄, and H₂O. The transmitter is based on an actively stabilized, continuous-wave, single-frequency external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) operating from 1.60 to 1.65 μm. The fixed frequency output of the ECDL is microwave sideband tuned using an electro-optical phase modulator driven by an arbitrary waveform generator and filtered using a confocal cavity to generate a sequence of 123 frequencies separated by 300 MHz. The scan sequence of single sideband frequencies of 600 ns duration covers a 37 GHz region at a spectral scan rate of 10 kHz (100 μs per scan). Simultaneously, an eye-safe backscatter LIDAR system at 1.064 μm is used to monitor the atmospheric boundary layer. IPDA LIDAR measurements of the CO₂ and CH₄ dry air mixing ratios are presented in comparison with those from a commercial cavity ring-down (CRD) instrument. Differences between the IPDA LIDAR and CRD concentrations in several cases appear to be well correlated with the atmospheric aerosol structure from the backscatter LIDAR measurements. IPDA LIDAR dry air mixing ratios of CO₂ and CH₄ are determined with fit uncertainties of 2.8 μmol/mol (ppm) for CO₂ and 22 nmol/mol (ppb) for CH₄ over 30 s measurement periods. For longer averaging times (up to 1200 s), improvements in these detection limits by up to 3-fold are estimated from Allan variance analyses. Two sources of systematic error are identified and methods to remove them are discussed, including speckle interference from wavelength decorrelation and the seed power dependence of amplified spontaneous emission. Accuracies in the dry air retrievals of CO₂ and CH₄ in a 30 s measurement period are estimated at 4 μmol/mol (1% of ambient levels) and 50 nmol/mol (3%), respectively.

50.4% slope efficiency thulium-doped large-mode-area fiber laser fabricated by powder technology

We report on a triple clad large-mode-area Tm-doped fiber laser with 18 μm core diameter manufactured for the first time by an alternative manufacturing process named REPUSIL. This reactive powder sinter material enables similar properties compared to conventional CVD-made fiber lasers, while offering the potential of producing larger and more uniform material. The fiber characterization in a laser configuration provides a slope efficiency of 47.7% at 20°C, and 50.4% at 0°C with 8 W output power, with a laser peak emission at 1970 nm. Finally, a beam quality near the diffraction-limit (M(x,y)2<1.1) is proved.

Diode-pumped 2-μm pulse laser with noncomposite Tm,Ho:YLF rod conduction-cooled down to -80°C

Q-switched operation of a diode-side-pumped, conduction-cooled Tm,Ho:YLF laser oscillator with 100-mJ output at a pulse repetition rate of 20 Hz and an eye-safe wavelength of 2-μm was achieved. The noncomposite Tm,Ho:YLF laser rod was conduction-cooled down to -80°C through thermal contact of In films from Cu heat sinks, and the laser diode arrays were conduction-cooled to approximately 20°C using Cu heat sinks in a vacuum container. A ring resonator of 3.86 m length with an acousto-optic Q-switch was used. The pulse width was 125 ns, and optical-to-optical efficiency was approximately 7% for an output of 100 mJ. The laser is used at 2.05 μm for applications of Doppler wind lidar measurements, CO₂ differential absorption lidar measurements, and aerosol profiling.

10 Gb/s InP-based Mach-Zehnder modulator for operation at 2 μm wavelengths

We report on the first InP-based Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) employing quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) for operation around 2000 nm. The polarization sensitive device is based on 15 compressively strained quantum wells and achieves an electro-optic (EO) bandwidth of at least 9 GHz, with a DC extinction ratio of ~9 dB, and a V(π)L ~9.6 V.mm. We demonstrate back-to-back communication with a 10 Gb/s pseudo-random bit sequence (PRBS) of length 2(7)-1 at a wavelength around 2000 nm.

Resonantly pumped room temperature Ho:LuVO₄ laser

Spectroscopic characterization of a Ho:LuVO4 crystal grown by the Czochralski method has been performed, including the absorption and emission spectra. We demonstrate a 2 μm room temperature Ho:LuVO4 laser, resonantly pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser. By use of an output coupler with T=10% transmission, the Ho:LuVO4 laser generated continuous-wave output power of 2.5 W at 2074.18 nm, with a beam quality factor of Mx2=My2=1.3, for a total incident pump power of 19.4 W. The slope efficiency with respect to the pump power was 17.6%, and the optical-to-optical efficiency was 12.9%. Moreover, we obtained a Ho:LuVO4 laser that operated at 2073.77 and 2055.27 nm, by using different output couplers with transmissions of T=15 and 30%.

Broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 laser

A broadly wavelength tunable acousto-optically Q-switched Tm:Lu2SiO5 (Tm:LSO) laser is presented for the first time, to our best knowledge. The emission wavelength was tuned in a broad spectral region over 111 nm ranging from 1959 to 2070 nm. A shortest pulse duration of 345 ns with beam quality of M(2)≤1.65 was obtained at pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1 kHz, corresponding to a maximum single pulse energy of 0.26 mJ and peak power of 0.75 kW. The experimental results indicated that Tm:LSO crystal has outstanding potential for obtaining broadly wavelength tunable and low-PRF laser pulses at 2 μm.

Analysis on preferential free running laser wavelength and performance modeling of Tm³⁺-doped YAP and YLF

The preferential free running laser wavelength at room temperature for different axes cuts of Tm³⁺-doped YAP and YLF is comparatively analyzed in this paper. The polarized gain spectrum of Tm:YAP and Tm:YLF with different product values of Tm³⁺-doped concentration and crystal length is theoretically calculated under various cavity output mirror transmissions. From the gain spectrum, it straightforwardly determines the preferential free running laser wavelength for a given light polarization. In addition, a rate equation model is further used to model and compare the laser output performance for both the free running and some common artificially selected oscillating wavelengths, including 1.99 and 1.94 μm of Tm:YAP, and 1.89, 1.91, and 1.94 μm of Tm:YLF, respectively. To achieve an expected laser oscillating wavelength with acceptable output performance, our analysis presented here is very beneficial for one to choose the most suitable axis cut of crystal.

Advanced sine wave modulation of continuous wave laser system for atmospheric CO(2) differential absorption measurements

In this theoretical study, modulation techniques are developed to support the Active Sensing of CO₂ Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission. A continuous wave (CW) lidar system using sine waves modulated by maximum length (ML) pseudo-noise (PN) codes is described for making simultaneous online/offline differential absorption measurements. Amplitude and phase-shift keying (PSK) modulated intensity modulation (IM) carriers, in addition to a hybrid-pulse technique are investigated, which exhibit optimal autocorrelation properties. A method is presented to bandwidth limit the ML sequence based on a filter implemented in terms of Jacobi theta functions, which does not significantly degrade the resolution or introduce sidelobes as a means of reducing aliasing and IM carrier bandwidth.

2-µm Tm:Lu₂O₃ ceramic disk laser intracavity-pumped by a semiconductor disk laser

A proof-of-principle study of a 1.97-µm Tm:Lu₂O₃ ceramic disk laser, intracavity pumped by a 1.2-µm semiconductor disk laser, is presented. The demonstrated concept allows for improved pump absorption and takes advantage of the broad wavelength coverage provided by semiconductor disk laser technology. For thin disk lasers the small thickness of the gain element typically leads to inefficient pump light absorption. This problem is usually solved by using a complex multi-pass pump arrangement. In this study we address this challenge with a new laser concept of an intracavity pumped ceramic thin disk laser. The output power at 1.97 µm was limited to 250 mW due to heat spreader-less mounting scheme of the ceramic gain disk.

Nonlinear swept frequency technique for CO2 measurements using a CW laser system

A system using a nonlinear multiswept sine wave is described, which employs multichannel multiswept orthogonal waves, to separate channels and make multiple, simultaneous online/offline CO(2) measurements. An analytic expression and systematic method for determining the orthogonal frequencies for the unswept, linear swept, and nonlinear swept cases is presented. It is shown that one may reduce sidelobes of the autocorrelation function while preserving cross channel orthogonality, for thin cloud rejection.

Micropulse differential absorption lidar for identification of carbon sequestration site leakage

A scanning differential absorption lidar (DIAL) instrument for identification of carbon dioxide leaks at carbon sequestration sites has been developed and initial data has been collected at Montana State University. The laser transmitter uses two tunable discrete mode laser diodes operating in the continuous-wave mode with one locked to the online absorption wavelength and the other operating at the offline wavelength. Two in-line fiber optic switches are used to switch between online and offline operation. After the fiber optic switch, an acousto-optic modulator is used to generate a pulse train used to injection seed an erbium-doped fiber amplifier to produce eye-safe laser pulses with maximum pulse energies of 66 μJ, a pulse repetition frequency of 15 kHz, and an operating wavelength of 1.571 μm. The DIAL receiver uses a 28 cm diameter Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope to collect that backscattered light, which is then monitored using a photomultiplier tube module operating in the photon counting mode. The DIAL has measured carbon dioxide profiles from 1 to 2.5 km with 60 min temporal averaging. Comparisons of DIAL measurements with a Licor LI-820 gas analyzer point sensor have been made.

Comparison of IPDA lidar receiver sensitivity for coherent detection and for direct detection using sine-wave and pulsed modulation

We use theoretical models to compare the receiver signal to noise ratio (SNR) vs. average rate of detected signal photons for an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar using coherent detection with continuous wave (CW) lasers and direct detection with sine-wave and pulse modulations. The results show the coherent IPDA lidar has high receiver gain and narrow bandwidth to overcome the effects of detector circuit noise and background light, but the actual receiver performance can be limited by the coherent mixing efficiency, speckle and other factors. For direct detection, using sine-wave modulation allows the use of a low peak power laser transmitter and synchronous detection. The pulse modulation technique requires higher laser peak powers but is more efficient than sine-wave modulation in terms of average detected signal photon rate required to achieve a given receiver SNR. We also conducted experiments for the direct detection cases and the results agreed well with theory.

Fully conductively cooled, diode-pumped Ho:Tm:LuLiF4 laser oscillator/amplifier

A fully conductively cooled and diode-pumped linear Ho:Tm:LuLiF laser oscillator can generate more than 1 J normal mode pulses at a 10 Hz pulse repetition rate where heat pipes are used for cooling pump diodes and laser crystal. As an amplifier, it can amplify the 80 mJ/180 ns pulses into 400 mJ pulses before the appearance of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The ASE threshold is about 5.6 J with a 40 mm long and side-polished laser crystal. For a 5 mJ input pulse and 5.6 J pump pulse, the double-pass gain exceeds 22.5. If the lateral surface of the laser crystal is fine ground, the ASE threshold can rise to higher than 8 J, but the efficiency will be lower due to large pump diffusion.

Single-frequency, Q-switched Ho:YAG laser at room temperature injection-seeded by two F-P etalons-restricted Tm, Ho:YAG laser

We demonstrated a 1.91 μm pumped, injection-seeded Q-switched Ho:YAG laser operating at room temperature. By inserting two Fabry-Perot etalons into the laser cavity, single-frequency Tm, Ho:YAG seed lasing was achieved at a wavelength of 2090.9 nm, with a typical output power of 60 mW. Single-frequency, nearly transform-limited Q-switched operation of the Ho:YAG laser was achieved by injection seeding. The output energy of the single-frequency Q-switched pulse is 7.6 mJ, with a pulse width of 132 ns and a repetition rate of 100 Hz. We measured the pulse spectrum, half-width of which was 3.5 MHz, by a heterodyne technique.

Tunable, Q-switched Tm,Ho:LLF laser with a conductively cooled triangular prism rod

We have developed a conductively cooled, Q-switched 2 μm laser with a triangular-prism Tm,Ho:LLF rod. Using a fused-silica acousto-optic Q-switch, the laser produced an output energy of 30 mJ in a single Q-switched pulse at a pulse repetition frequency of 5 Hz. Although the laser rod had polished lateral surfaces, no parasitic oscillation occurred, even at the maximum pumping level. In addition, broadly tunable laser performance was achieved with a birefringent filter plate under relatively large output coupling. The laser could be continuously tuned from 2051 to 2069 nm. Measured tuning characteristics were in reasonable agreement with calculated results.

Feasibility study on 1.6 μm continuous-wave modulation laser absorption spectrometer system for measurement of global CO2 concentration from a satellite

A feasibility study is carried out on a 1.6 μm continuous-wave modulation laser absorption spectrometer system for measurement of global CO(2)concentration from a satellite. The studies are performed for wavelength selection and both systematic and random error analyses. The systematic error in the differential absorption optical depth (DAOD) is mainly caused by the temperature estimation error, surface pressure estimation error, altitude estimation error, and ON wavelength instability. The systematic errors caused by unwanted backscattering from background aerosols and dust aerosols can be reduced to less than 0.26% by using a modulation frequency of around 200 kHz, when backscatter coefficients of these unwanted backscattering have a simple profile on altitude. The influence of backscattering from cirrus clouds is much larger than that of dust aerosols. The transmission power required to reduce the random error in the DAOD to 0.26% is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio and the carrier-to-noise ratio calculations. For a satellite altitude of 400 km and receiving aperture diameter of 1 m, the required transmission power is approximately 18 W and 70 W when albedo is 0.31 and 0.08, respectively; the total measurement time in this case is 4 s, which corresponds to a horizontal resolution of 28 km.

Widely-tunable parametric short-wave infrared transmitter for CO2 trace detection

An all-fiber, tunable, short-wave infrared transmitter is demonstrated using efficient four-wave mixing in conventional L and O bands. To realize this source a highly-nonlinear fiber, exhibiting low bend loss over the short-wave infrared spectral band, is employed because of its advantageous properties as a nonlinear mixing medium. The transmitter was subsequently exploited to probe and detect trace levels of carbon dioxide in the 2051-nm spectral region where its beam properties, tunability, narrow linewidth, and stability all coalesce to permit this application. This work indicates this transmitter can serve as a robust source for sensing carbon dioxide and other trace gasses in the short-wave infrared spectral region and should therefore play an important role in future applications.

Performance improvement and analysis of a 1.6 μm continuous-wave modulation laser absorption spectrometer system for CO2 sensing

In a previous study, we developed a 1.6 μm continuous-wave (cw) modulation laser absorption spectrometer system for CO(2) sensing and demonstrated the measurement of small fluctuations in CO(2) corresponding to a precision of 4 parts per million (ppm) with a measurement interval of 32 s. In this paper, we present the process to achieve this highly specific measurement by introducing important points, which have not been shown in the previous study. Following the results of preliminary experiments, we added a function for speckle averaging on the optical antenna unit. We additionally came up with some ideas to avoid the influences of etalon effects and polarization dependence in optical components. Because of the new functions, we realized a calibration precision of 0.006 dB (rms), which corresponds to a CO(2) concentration precision of less than 1 ppm for a 2 km path. We also analyzed the CO(2) sensing performance after the improvements described above. The measured short time fluctuation of the differential absorption optical depth was reasonably close to that calculated using the carrier-to-noise ratio of the received signal.

Statistical model for fading return signals in coherent lidars

A statistical model for the return signal in a coherent lidar is derived from the fundamental principles of atmospheric scattering and turbulent propagation. The model results in a three-parameter probability distribution for the coherent signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of atmospheric turbulence and affected by target speckle. We consider the effects of amplitude and phase fluctuations, in addition to local oscillator shot noise, for both passive receivers and those employing active modal compensation of wavefront phase distortion. We obtain exact expressions for statistical moments for lidar fading and evaluate the impact of various parameters, including the ratio of receiver aperture diameter to the wavefront coherence diameter, the speckle effective area, and the number of modes compensated.