SOLID STATE PULSED COHERENT LASER RADAR SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGN

SOLID STATE LASER TECHNOLOGY HAS NOW REACHED THE STATE OF DEVELOPMENT IN WHICH COHERENT, RANGE RESOLVED MEASUREMENTS OF ATMOSPHERIC WIND VELOCITY AND OTHER PARAMETERS IS NOW POSSIBLE. A COHERENT ND:YAG LASER SOURCE HAS RECENTLY BEEN DEVELOPED AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY. WE PROPOSE TO USE THE DETAILED LIDAR COMPUTER SIMULATION AVAILABLE AT COHERENT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. TO DETERMINE THE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF SUCH A SOLID STATE LIDAR SYSTEM. THE COMPONENT TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE SURVEYED IN DETAIL AND THE EXPERIENCE WITH PREVIOUS CO2 COHERENT LIDAR SYSTEMS USED TO IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL SYSTEMS PROBLEMS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS. THE SPECIFICATIONS AND DESIGN OF A SOLID STATE LIDARWILL THEN BE DEVELOPED. A SOLID STATE COHERENT LIDAR WILL OFFER SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS SUCH AS REDUCED POWER AND WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, AND LONG LIFETIMES NEEDED FOR PRACTICAL USES.