Reliable characterization and radiometric calibration of satellite sensors are critical to their optimal performance on-orbit. The uses of satellite sensor data, with their increased use in long-term environmental monitoring and climate studies mean that the performance and data quality provided by a single sensor can no longer be considered in isolation but needs to be considered as a part of the international Earth Observation (EO) infrastructure and referenced to common standard, the SI. The drive for improved performance, together with the desire for inter-operability between sensors creates increased demands on the pre-flight characterization and radiometric calibration of sensors. Sensor pre-flight characterization and calibration facilities, or optical ground support equipment (OGSE) test sensor performance over a few broad categories including geometric performance/image quality together with spectral and radiometric calibration. The specific requirements of the sensor have historically created a drive for a bespoke OGSE. For large-scale multi-sensor series programs, a bespoke solution may remain the preferred solution. However, for single/few unit explorer missions, the expense & post-use redundancy of a bespoke OGSE system may be prohibitive. NPL together with M Squared lasers has developed a universal OGSE facility, the Spectroscopically Tunable Absolute Radiometric calibration & characterization OGSE (STAR-CC-OGSE), a versatile facility for the radiometric calibration and characterization of satellite sensors. The system is provided fully characterized, calibrated and performance verified, with an easy to use software interface that allows fully automated remote operation
This paper presents the latest efforts in the development of commercial optically-pumped semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) at M Squared Lasers. Two types of SDLs are currently being developed: an ultrafast system and a continuous wave single frequency system under the names of Dragonfly and Infinite, respectively. Both offer a compact, low-cost, easy-to-use and maintenance-free tool for a range of growing markets including nonlinear microscopy and quantum technology. To facilitate consumer uptake of the SDL technology, the performance specifications aim to closely match the currently employed systems.
An extended Dragonfly system is being developed targeting the nonlinear microscopy market, which typically requires 1-W average power pulse trains with pulse durations below 200 fs. The pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of the commonly used laser systems, typically Titanium-sapphire lasers, is 80 MHz. This property is particularly challenging for mode-locked SDLs which tend to operate at GHz repetition rates, due to their short upper state carrier lifetime. Dragonfly has found a compromise at 200 MHz to balance mode-locking instabilities with a low PRF. In the ongoing development of Dragonfly, additional pulse compression and nonlinear spectral broadening stages are used to obtain pulse durations as short as 130 fs with an average power of 0.85 W, approaching the required performance.
A variant of the Infinite system was adapted to provide a laser source suitable for the first stage of Sr atom cooling at 461 nm. Such a source requires average powers of approximately 1 W with a sub-MHz linewidth. As direct emission in the blue is not a viable approach at this stage, an SDL emitting at 922 nm followed by an M Squared Lasers SolTiS ECD-X doubler is currently under development. The SDL oscillator delivered >1 W of single frequency (RMS frequency noise <150kHz) light at 922 nm.
In recent years, M Squared Lasers have successfully commercialized a range of mode-locked vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) operating between 920-1050nm and producing picosecond-range pulses with average powers above 1W at pulse repetition frequencies (PRF) of ~200MHz. These laser products offer a low-cost, easy-to-use and maintenance-free tool for the growing market of nonlinear microscopy. However, in order to present a credible alternative to ultrafast Ti-sapphire lasers, pulse durations below 200fs are required.
In the last year, efforts have been directed to reduce the pulse duration of the Dragonfly laser system to below 200fs with a target average power above 1W at a PRF of 200MHz. This paper will describe and discuss the latest efforts undertaken to approach these targets in a laser system operating at 990nm. The relatively low PRF operation of Dragonfly lasers represents a challenging requirement for mode-locked VECSELs due to the very short upper state carrier lifetime, on the order of a few nanoseconds, which can lead to double pulsing behavior in longer cavities as the time between consecutive pulses is increased.
Most notably, the design of the Dragonfly VECSEL cavity was considerably modified and the laser system extended with a nonlinear pulse stretcher and an additional compression stage. The improved Dragonfly laser system achieved pulse duration as short as 130fs with an average power of 0.85W.
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