Abstract

A new design for the transmitter/local oscillator portion of a coherent CO₂ TEA laser rangefinder is described. The transmitter is a hybrid laser design in which single-longitudinal-mode operation is obtained by operating two transversely excited pulsed gain sections in the same optical resonator. One gain section is operated at atmospheric pressure to provide high gain; the other is operated at low pressure to provide additional gain only to the axial mode nearest line center. Thus the central axial mode sees the highest gain and lases first before the other modes reach threshold.

© 1981 Optical Society of America