SHORT PULSE WAVEFORM GENERATOR (WFG) FOR ASAT LASER RADAR APPLICATIONS

TO CREATE A DOPPLER IMAGER OF A TARGET, SUCH AS A SATELLITE, WITH A LASER RADAR, IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A LASER CAPABLE OF CREATING A SUITABLE. DOPPLER IMAGE RESOLUTION IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE LENGTH OF THE LASER PULSE (THE AMOUNT OF THE TARGET ILLUMINATED IN AN INSTANT OF TIME), AND THE REQUIRED SPACING BETWEEN PULSES IS RELATED TO THE MAXIMUM TARGET SIZE. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A METHOD OF DESIGNING A CO2 LASER CAVITY WHICH IS BELIEVED WILL GENERATE ULTRA-SHORT OPTICAL PULSES (TENTHS OF A NANOSECOND) SPACED TENS OF NANOSECONDS APART. A COMBINATION OF PROVEN OPTICAL TECHNQIUES SHOULD ALLOW PRODUCTION OF SUB-NANOSECOND CO2 LASER PULSES SUITABLE FOR HETERODYNE DETECTION IN STATE-OF-THE-ART ASAT LASER RADAR APPLICATIONS. THIS WAVEFORM GENERATOR (WFG) WILL BE USED AS INPUT TO A LONG PULSE LASER AMPLIFIER (LPLA) ALREADY UNDER DEVELOPMENT TO PRODUCE HIGH ENERGY OPTICAL PULSES FOR ASAT RELATED APPLICATIONS.