Active Sensors

The purpose of this Phase I program is to demonstrate the feasibility of a compact, frequency tripled Nd:Y2O3 laser system to generate 305nm and 315nm for global tropospheric ozone sensing from space. Because Nd:Y2O3 can generate output on both the 915 nm transition and the 947 nm transition, the desired ozone UV DIAL wavelengths of 305 nm and 315 nm can be generated using a SINGLE laser device that incorporates 3rd harmonic conversion. The current laser transmitter for UV DIAL monitoring of ozone from satellite platforms is relatively large and requires 2 DPSS laser sources in addition to 5 non-linear conversion steps, whereas the Nd:Y2O3 based system may require as few as 1 DPSS laser source and 2 non-linear conversion steps. The minimal component count, small size and weight, and reduced power requirement makes a DIAL laser transmitter based on Nd:Y2O3 a very attractive choice for space based remote sensing. The proposed technology would allow NASA to continue to make rapid and dramatic technological progress in global ozone mapping.