Rapidly tunable acousto-optic spectrometer for a space environment

David C. Thompson; Clifford J. Hewitt; Carl W. Wilson

doi:10.1117/12.405337

26 October 2000 Rapidly tunable acousto-optic spectrometer for a space environment

David C. Thompson, Clifford J. Hewitt, Carl W. Wilson

Proceedings Volume 4134, Photonics for Space Environments VII; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.405337
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2000, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

As a complement to our work developing rapidly-tunable (approximately 10 - 100 kHz) CO₂ lasers for differential absorption lidar (DIAL) applications, we have developed a rapidly-tunable spectrometer. A rapid spectral diagnostic is critical for a high speed DIAL system, since analysis of the return signals depend on knowing the spectral purity of the transmitted beam. The spectrometer developed for our lidar system is based on a double-passed large- (75 mm) aperture acousto-optic deflector, a grating, and a fast single-element room temperature mercury-cadmium-telluride detector. The spectrometer has a resolution of approximately 0.5 cm^-1, a tuning range of 9.0 - 11.4 micrometers , a random-access tuning speed of greater than 80 kHz and a S/N ratio of greater than 100:1. We describe the design and performance of this device, as well as of future devices featuring improved resolution, higher speed and easier and more robust alignment. We will also briefly discuss the applications and limitations of the technique in a space environment.

Citation Download Citation

David C. Thompson, Clifford J. Hewitt, and Carl W. Wilson "Rapidly tunable acousto-optic spectrometer for a space environment", Proc. SPIE 4134, Photonics for Space Environments VII, (26 October 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.405337

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