High-power multi-beam diode laser transmitter for a flash imaging lidar

Christer Holmlund, Petteri Aitta, Sini Kivi, Risto Mitikka, Lauri Tyni, Veli Heikkinen

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

    Abstract

    VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing the transmitter for the Flash Optical Sensor for TErrain Relative NAVigation (FOSTERNAV) multi-beam flash imaging lidar. FOSTERNAV is a concept demonstrator for new guidance, navigation and control (GNC) technologies to fulfil the requirements for landing and docking of spacecraft as well as for navigation of rovers. This paper presents the design, realisation and testing of the multi-beam continuous-wave (CW) laser transmitter to be used in a 256x256 pixel flash imaging lidar. Depending on the target distance, the lidar has three operation modes using either several beams with low divergence or one single beam with a large divergence. This paper describes the transmitter part of the flash imaging lidar with focus on the electronics and especially the laser diode drivers. The transmitter contains eight fibre coupled commercial diode laser modules with a total peak optical power of 32 W at 808 nm. The main requirement for the laser diode drivers was linear modulation up to a frequency of 20 MHz allowing, for example, low distortion chirps or pseudorandom binary sequences. The laser modules contain the laser diode, a monitoring photodiode, a thermo-electric cooler, and a thermistor. The modules, designed for non-modulated and low-frequency operation, set challenging demands on the design of the drivers. Measurement results are presented on frequency response, and eye diagrams for pseudo-random binary sequences.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationElectro-Optical Remote Sensing, Photonic Technologies, and Applications VII and Military Applications in Hyperspectral Imaging and High Spatial Resolution Sensing
    EditorsGary W. Kamerman, Ove K. Steinvall, Gary J. Bishop, John D. Gonglewski
    PublisherInternational Society for Optics and Photonics SPIE
    ISBN (Print)978-0-8194-9766-6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2013
    MoE publication typeA4 Article in a conference publication
    EventSPIE Security + Defence - Dresden, Germany
    Duration: 24 Sept 201326 Sept 2013

    Publication series

    SeriesProceedings of SPIE
    Volume8897
    ISSN0277-786X

    Conference

    ConferenceSPIE Security + Defence
    Country/TerritoryGermany
    CityDresden
    Period24/09/1326/09/13

    Keywords

    • diode laser
    • flas lidar
    • imaging lidar

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