Monolithic High Power Semiconductor Seed Lasers near 2.05 µm
We report on the development and demonstration of a compact 2-micron semiconductor seed laser for CO2 lidar instruments. Our monolithic high-power fiber-pigtailed semiconductor seed laser will greatly enhance the operability and applicability of IPDA (Integrated Path Differential Absorption) lidar systems for high spatial and temporal resolution CO2 airborne measurements as well as future Earth-orbiting CO2 measurement missions. The compact semiconductor transmitter has a suitably narrow linewidth (less than 100 kilohertz) and enables flexible tuning (greater than 150 gigahertz) over several CO2 absorption lines in the 2.05-micron band.The frequency agility and multi-format modulation capability of the proposed technology, its small size and compatibility with standard DFB (Distributed FeedBack) lasers at the telecom band paves the way for adoption of the attractive 2.05-micron band for CO2 profiling and measurements.