Optical source and apparatus for remote sensing
View Patent ↗An optical amplifier is configured to amplify an injected seed optical pulse. The optical amplifier may include two or more gain sections coupled to form a continuous solid waveguide along a primary optical path. Each gain section may include: (i) an optical isolator forming an input to that gain section; (ii) a doped optical fiber having a first end coupled to the optical isolator and having a second end; (iii) a plurality of pump laser diodes; (iv) a controller providing drive signals to each of the plurality, the controller being configured to provide at least pulsed drive signals; and (v) an optical coupler having a first input port coupled to the second end, and a second input port coupled to the plurality and an output port.
1. A real-time space based planetary mapping measurement system for remote sensing and mapping comprising:
one or more processors; an illumination source controller and modulator coupled to one or more processors; a cavity free real-time electronically adjustable wavelength pulsed illumination source with multipower multiple laser lines coupled to the illumination source controller and modulator; a receiver having a capability for detecting illumination transmitted by the illumination source and providing signals based on detected illumination; the pulsed illumination source comprising: a seed coupled to the illumination source controller and modulator and accepting control and modulation signals therefrom; and an optical amplifier having an input coupled to the seed and having an output, the optical amplifier comprising two or more gain sections coupled to form a continuous solid waveguide along a primary optical path, each gain section comprising: an optical isolator forming an input to that gain section; a doped optical fiber having a first end coupled to the optical isolator and having a second end; a plurality of pump laser diodes; a controller providing drive signals to each of the plurality of pump laser diodes, the controller being configured to provide at least pulsed drive signals; and an optical coupler having a first input port coupled to the second end, a second input port coupled to said plurality of pump laser diodes and an output port.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical amplifier comprises two or more gain sections forming a substantially physically continuous solid waveguide along a primary optical path.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seed comprises a laser diode.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seed comprises a laser diode having an output signal whose frequency is tunable in wavelength responsive to electrical signals.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the seed comprises a laser diode having an output signal within a band of wavelengths spanning about 970 nanometers to about 1080 nanometers.
6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the two or more gain sections are coupled via optical isolators.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the substantially physically continuous solid waveguide includes optical fibers joined via fusion splicing.
8. The system of claim 2 , wherein each of the two or more gain sections are backwards-wave pumped via a plurality of laser diode modules, each of the plurality comprising: an optical fiber; and a laser diode secured to the optical fiber, wherein the laser diode and diode-to-fiber junction are contained within a hermetically sealed, mechanically robust enclosure.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein an image reconstruction engine is coupled to the receiver and to one or more processors.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the image reconstruction engine process signals from the receiver and employ characteristics of the signals to create a mapping corresponding to delay and reflectivity assessments based on the signals.