Analytical Techniques for Laser Remote Sensing with a Super-Continuum White Light Laser
Document ID: 86
Master's Thesis
The Pennsylvania State University
The Graduate School
College of Engineering
Abstract
Initial laboratory experiments have been concluded to investigate the abilities of a white light super continuum laser beam generated by a femtosecond laser pulse, for its application in atmospheric remote sensing. The spectral components of this PSU white light laser, which range from 200 nm to about 1700 nm, can be used as the source for long path spectrometer measurements of atmospheric constitutes. Before the white light laser technology can be considered a robust means of atmospheric remote sensing, a well developed method of the data analysis for detection and quantification must be developed. This study will explore two methods that have been previously proposed in the literature for quantification techniques for white light laser data, and a new method will be presented that uses data from recent laboratory experiments. A newly prepared femtosecond pulsed laser has been used for detection of water vapor absorption features in the region of 1350 nm to 1420 nm. The sub-nanosecond laser pulses from a passively Q switched microchip laser are coupled into a 2 cm long photonic crystal fiber to generate super-continuum white light. The white light generated is collimated and propagates along a path of 20 meters in air. The transmitted spectrum is collected and recorded by an optical spectrum analyzer. The laboratory has a controlled atmosphere and the relative humidity and temperature were recorded using a sling psychrometer.
| Citation: | J. Begnoche, "Analytical Techniques for Laser Remote Sensing with a Super-Continuum White Light Laser", The Pennsylvania State University, Master's Thesis, May 2005, 36 pages |