RESEARCH STUDY OF A CO2 LASER RADAR TRANSMITTER
Abstract
The report concerns the investigation of physical properties of laser amplifiers, using electrically excited mixtures of CO2, N2, and He with a view to producing high-power pulse emission with well-controlled temporal and spatial form. The object of this investigation is to design and build such a source with an average power of 1 kW in a form suitable for use as a laser radar transmitter. Designs have been developed for both dc- and pulse-excited amplifiers and the physical quantities of importance in these designs have been measured. The most notable of these are: the signal intensity required to drive an amplifier to saturation, information on the refractive properties of the discharge, the time constant determining maximum pulse repetition rates, both for the input pulse trace and for the pulse excitation process, and the practical gain levels that can lead to self-oscillation in the amplifier. These measurements lead to the choice of a system in which a train of 10 - 15 microsec pulses at a repetition rate of 10 - 12 kc is amplified by a 50-meter length of dc-excited power amplifier.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0653725
Entities
People
- Frank A. Horrigan
- Perry A. Miles
Organizations
- RTX