Miniature eye-safe laser system for high-resolution three-dimensional lidar
A microchip-laser-pumped optical parametric amplifier produces 35-microJ, 1.537-microm pulses of 190-ps duration at 8 kHz, in a near-diffraction-limited output beam with a Fourier-transform-limited spectrum. The flight-ready laser head is pumped by 20 W of optical power from two fiber-coupled laser-diode arrays, occupies a volume of 0.14 liters, and has a mass of 0.34 kg.