Modulated Pulsed Laser Sources for Imaging Lidars

A pulsed fiber laser capable of very rapid amplitude modulation is proposed. Producing more than 5 W output at 532 nm, the system incorporates a very fast fiber-coupled electro-optic modulator, capable of reproducing waveforms up to the 10 GHz range. When used in a hybrid lidar-radar system, the laser will enable discrimination against multiply scattered photons, powerfully enabling imaging of targets even in very turbid water. Fiber laser technology enables the laser to be robust, alignment- and contamination-insensitive, and inherently ruggedizable. The laser (based upon recently commercialized designs) is very compact and power-efficient, enabling near-term deployment in Naval systems.