Optical parametric sources from the SWIR to the LWIR for standoff gas sensing

Abstract

We present our activities on the development of narrow linewidth tunable optical parametric sources and their integration in lidar systems. In particular, we present different implementations of the nested cavity optical parametric oscillator (NesCOPO) that enables tunable single-frequency emission from the SWIR to the LWIR, when pumped by a fixed or a tunable wavelength laser beam. We show how to amplify the output energy and while preserving the spectral linewidth to perform standoff detection of greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals with direct detection lidars.