Pulsed laser architecture for enhancing backscatter from sodium

Thomas J. Kane; Paul D. Hillman; Craig A. Denman

doi:10.1117/12.2055632

21 July 2014 Pulsed laser architecture for enhancing backscatter from sodium

Thomas J. Kane, Paul D. Hillman, Craig A. Denman

Proceedings Volume 9148, Adaptive Optics Systems IV; 91483G (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055632
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2014, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Abstract

The brightness of a laser-generated guide star is determined not only by the power of the laser, but also by the spectral and temporal properties of the laser. We show that a guide star laser pulsed at the Larmor frequency of the sodium atoms enhances guide star brightness by up to 2X, compared to an optimized cw laser at the same average power. We describe a frequency-addition source of optical radiation that can provide such pulsed light, while providing any desired spectral shape.

Citation Download Citation

Thomas J. Kane, Paul D. Hillman, and Craig A. Denman "Pulsed laser architecture for enhancing backscatter from sodium", Proc. SPIE 9148, Adaptive Optics Systems IV, 91483G (21 July 2014); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2055632

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