A Kerr Mode Locked (KLM) laser is configured with a resonant cavity. The gain medium, selected from polycrystalline transition metal doped II-VI materials (TM:II-VI), is cut at a normal angle of incidence and mounted in the resonant cavity so as to induce the KLM laser to emit a pulsed laser beam at a fundamental wavelength. The pulses of the emitted laser beam at the fundamental wavelength each vary within a 1.8-8 micron (m) wavelength range, have a pulse duration equal to or longer than 30-35 femtosecond (fs) time range and an average output power within a mW to about 20 watts (W) power range. The disclosed resonant cavity is configured with a plurality of spaced apart reflectors, two of which flank and are spaced from the gain medium which is pumped to output a laser beam at a fundamental wavelength and its higher harmonic wavelengths. The gain medium is mounted on a translation mechanism operative to controllably displace the gain medium along a waist of the laser beam. The displacement of the gain medium causes redistribution of a laser power between a primary output at the fundamental wavelength and at least one secondary output at the higher harmonic wavelength.

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light. The lidar system also includes multiple optical links and multiple sensor heads. Each optical link couples the light source to a corresponding sensor head, and each optical link is configured to convey at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light from the light source to the corresponding sensor head. Each sensor head includes a scanner configured to scan pulses of light across a field of regard of the sensor head, where the scanned pulses of light include the portion of the emitted pulses of light conveyed from the light source to the sensor head by the corresponding optical link. Each sensor head also includes a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered or reflected by a target located downrange from the sensor head.

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system.

A high-power ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride laser system is disclosed herein which includes at least one pump source, at least one laser cavity formed by at least one high reflector and at least one output coupler, and at least one ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride optical crystal positioned within the laser cavity in communication with the pump source, the ytterbium-doped calcium fluoride optical crystal configured to output at least one output signal of at least 20 W, having a pulse width of 200 fs or less, and a repetition rate of at least 40 MHz.

Disclosed is a system and method for remote sensing, surface profiling, object identification, and aiming based on two-photon population inversion and subsequent photon backscattering enhanced by superradiance using two co-propagating pump waves. The present disclosure enables efficient and highly-directional photon backscattering by generating the pump waves in properly pulsed time-frequency modes, proper spatial modes, with proper group-velocity difference in air. The pump waves are relatively delayed in a tunable pulse delay device and launched to free space along a desirable direction using a laser-pointing device. When the pump waves overlap in air, signal photons will be created through two-photon driven superrdiant backscattering if target gas molecules are present. The backscattered signal photons propagate back, picked using optical filters, and detected. By scanning the relative delay and the launching direction while the signal photons are detected, three-dimensional information of target objects is acquired remotely.

In one embodiment, a laser system includes a seed laser configured to produce optical seed pulses. The laser system also includes a first fiber-optic amplifier configured to amplify the seed pulses by a first amplifier gain to produce a first-amplifier output that includes amplified seed pulses and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). The laser system further includes a first optical filter configured to remove from the first-amplifier output an amount of the ASE. The laser system also includes a second fiber-optic amplifier configured to receive the amplified seed pulses from the first optical filter and amplify the received pulses by a second amplifier gain to produce output pulses. The output pulses have output-pulse characteristics that include: a pulse repetition frequency of less than or equal to 100 MHz; a pulse duration of less than or equal to 20 nanoseconds; and a duty cycle of less than or equal to 1%.

A crystalline Raman laser source is configured with a crystal Raman medium zigzagged by a pump light at a fundamental frequency of between input and output of the Raman medium such that the pump light sequentially converts to Stokes wave frequencies .sub.1-n, the Raman medium having spaced opposite sides bridging the input and output. The Raman medium is provided with a wavelength discriminator coupled to the opposite sides of the Raman medium and configured to guide a desired Stokes frequency to the exit of the Raman medium while being transparent to Stokes wave frequency which is lower than the desired frequency.

A high-power Raman fiber laser includes: a seed laser; a plurality of pump lasers, each including a cladding and comprising of thulium-doped fiber laser (TDFL) and configured to operate in a 1935-2020 nm spectral window; a pump/seed combiner to combine outputs of the pump lasers and output of the seed laser and having a tapered portion including a cladding; and a Raman fiber amplifier having a core and a cladding surrounding the core, the seed laser is launched into the core, and pump laser output beams are launched into the cladding, to amplify the seed laser to produce an amplified output signal, and a brightness of the cladding of the Raman fiber amplifier is matched to a combined brightness of the plurality of pump lasers.

The present disclosure generally relates optical amplifier modules. In one form for example, an optical amplifier module includes a booster optical amplifier configured to increase optical power of a first optical signal. The module also includes a preamp optical amplifier configured to increase optical power of a second optical signal and a pump laser optically coupled to the booster optical amplifier and the preamp optical amplifier. The pump laser is configured to provide a booster power to the booster optical amplifier and a preamp power to the preamp optical amplifier, the preamp power is effective to induce a gain in optical power to provide a target optical power of the second optical signal from the preamp optical amplifier, and the booster power is dependent on the preamp power.

The present invention provides systems and methods for producing short laser pulses that are amplified and spectrally broadened in a bulk gain media. The bulk material, having laser gain and nonlinear properties, is concurrently exposed to an optical pump input and a seed input, the pump power being sufficient to amplify and spectrally broaden the seed pulse.