Multi-spectral lidar system - Design, build and test

Long range, combined UV-IR LIDAR system was built and tested. The system was developed to operate as a multi-wavelength DIAL in the IR (8-11 μm), dual exciting wavelengths LIF LIDAR in the UV, and aerosol map and track at 1.5 μm. The IR transmitter is a continuous tunable solid-state Tandem Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) [1]. The first OPO stage generates the 1.5 μm beam and the second OPO stage pumped by the first, generates the IR band. In the UV the transmitter generates and transmits either the 266 nm or the 355 nm wavelengths sequentially. All the outgoing laser beams are prealigned to ensure geometric overlap over the measured paths. Energy references are measured for each beam on every pulse. The receiver is based on a single reflective telescope with coatings optimized for both the UV and the IR. The optical signal is routed between the different detection packages by means of a computerized optical scanner mirror. The receiver-transmitter layout is based on periscope geometry and is equipped with a large θ-φ scanner. Computer control enables fast switching between the different measurements and wavelengths, data acquisition and spatial scan as well. The system was built inside a mobile trailer and was field tested to descriminate aerosol types in a complex enviroment [2].