Linearly polarized, dual wavelength frequency-modulated continuous-wave fiber laser for simultaneous coherent distance and speed measurements

Abstract

We have experimentally demonstrated a high power linearly polarized, dual wavelength frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) fiber laser with master-oscillator power-amplifier (MOPA) configuration, which is specially designed for simultaneous coherent distance and speed measurements. Two single longitudinal mode laser diodes working at 1550.12 and 1554.13 nm are employed as the seeds of the fiber MOPA. The wavelengths of the seeds are externally modulated by two acousto-optic frequency shifters (AOFSes) with a symmetrical sawtooth wave from 330–460 MHz in the frequency domain. The modulation periodicities for the two seeds are 26 and 26.3 μs, respectively, by which the distance ambiguity can be eliminated and therefore the detection range can be extended to a great extent. The seeds are then amplified independently to reduce their power differences during frequency modulation. After being coupled and boosted with three successive fiber amplifiers, an output power of 12.1 W is recorded from the FMCW laser with a power instability <0.14% over 1.5 h. The measured PER and full divergence angle of the laser are >18 dB and <25 μrad, respectively, indicating its excellent performance for field measurements.