TUNABLE LASER DIODE AND OPTICAL PHASE-LOCKED LOOP FOR LIDAR,TRACKING, & SENSORS

SPACECRAFT TERMINAL RENDEZVOUS/DOCKING, TARGET ACQUISITION/TRACKING/IDENTIFICATION, HAND-HELD LIDAR, COHERENT SENSORS, AND OPTICAL SIGNAL PROCESSING ALL DEMAND THE TUNABLE LASER DIODE (TLD) AND OPTICAL PHASE-LOCKED LOOP (OPLL). THE TLD OR OPLL MUST HAVE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE-MODE, LOW NOISE, NARROW LINEWIDTH, HIGH STABILITY, AND WIDE LINEAR TUNING RANGE. E-TEK PROPOSES A LOW COST, HIGH PERFORMANCE TLD CONSISTING OF A LASER DIODE, AIR GAP, AND EOM WHICH WILL MEET THE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS. ALSO, THE NEW TLD HAS ADVANTAGES OF FABRICATION SIMPLICITY AND THEABILITY TO BE CONTROLLED/STABILIZED FOR VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS. IN ADDITION TO THE THEORETICAL ANALYSES OF TLD/OPLL PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS, A PRACTICAL TLD WILL BE DESIGNED AND FABRICATED DURING PHASE I TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY, VIABILITY, AND TUNABILITY.