The REAL team recently received a new Continuum Powerlite 9050
Nd:YAG laser with fiber injection seeder to begin development of
the next generation REAL (v3). The new laser provides 1.2 joules
per pulse of highly polarized, single-longitudinal-mode, light at
at a wavelength of 1064 nm and a rate of 50 pulses per second.
(The present REAL pump laser provides 0.8 joules per pulse at 10
pulses per second.) Therefore, the new pump is spec'ed to
provide 7.5 times more average pump power than the present pump
laser (from 8 watts to 60 watts). In practice, the new laser
represents an even greater increase because about 25% of the 0.8
J is not available for pumping due to polarization impurities.
The team plans to convert this light to the eye-safe wavelength
of 1.5 microns using a Raman cell and possibly other solid-state
wavelength conversion methods.
For the atmospheric scientist, the better pump translates
directly into faster scans to farther ranges with better
signal-to-noise. The REAL team plans to experiment in the lab
with the new monster laser starting during summer of 2005
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