Coherent beam combining (CBC) by active phase control is an efficient way to power scale fiber amplifiers but its bandwidth of operation of CBC can be limited. Deep-learning techniques offer some capability for fast retrieval of the laser phases from the shape of the interference pattern generated through combining, in order to increase the speed and bandwidth of operation of CBC. In this paper, we present the development and numerical tests of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) used for such fast phase retrieval. After numerically generating tens of thousands of interference patterns corresponding to different phase sets for the combined lasers, we learned the CNN to retrieve the phase set corresponding to a given shape of interference pattern. Unfortunately, due to the central symmetry of the tiled-aperture hexagonal geometry of the array of fiber outputs, there’s not a unique set of phases for the combined lasers that can lead to a given shape of interference pattern. We demonstrate that acquiring the image of the interference pattern in a plane that is not perfectly located in the far-field offers a simple solution to get rid of this non-uniqueness ambiguity. After demonstrating numerically that with this addition, the CNN learning approach operates well resulting in low values for the CBC residual phase error, we explain how it’s possible to transfer this learning that has been done numerically to a real experiment.
Some applications like range finding, optical counter measures or engine ignition, require lasers capable of delivering high repetition rate bursts of nanosecond pulses with hundreds of microjoules to a few millijoules in terms of energy per pulse. We previously developed such a diode-pumped Yb:YAG micro-laser with an oscillator delivering 250 µJ to 300 µJ per pulse, with a 3 – 5 ns pulse duration, with an intra-burst pulse repetition frequency that can be tuned continuously from 1 kHz to 20 kHz by increasing the pump power. This oscillator had been amplified to the mJ level by an additional laser module. But there is a large choice of possible dopant concentration and thickness for the Yb:YAG laser crystal, of low power transmittance value for the Cr:YAG passive Q-switching crystal and of pump power and burst duration, and we want to be sure the choice of design we make is the best one. In order to optimize this choice of design for the micro-laser, this paper, we developed a numerical model of laser amplification and passive Q-switch. After presenting the model, we describe how it compares with previous results from our own experimental results, in terms of energy per pulse, pulse duration and repetition frequency of the laser and how we managed to obtain good agreement with the experiments by optimizing the numerical modelling of the overlap between the laser and pump beams in the amplifying medium. Finally, future work to verify the reliability of the numerical model and to use it for optimization of the architecture of the passively Q-switched laser is presented.
Coherent beam combining (CBC) by active phase control is an efficient technique to power scale fiber laser sources emitting in the near-infrared, between 1 and 2 μm, up to the multi-kilowatt level. Interestingly, it has been demonstrated by our team that CBC could also be used to power scale mid-infrared sources, frequency converters, generating a wavelength between 3 and 5 μm. We present our latest results on coherent combining of continuous-wave highefficiency mid-infrared sources: optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) and detail the difficulties encountered to achieve this combining, as well as the main limitations to efficient operation of CBC in this case. In a second part of this talk, we also present recent results on coherent combining of seven 1.5-μm fiber lasers through active phase control, using frequency-tagging, and operating efficiently on a remote target. A testbed has been designed to combine these 7 lasers on a remote surface, with phase-locking operating through analysis of the optical signal backscattered by the target, in a so-called target-in-the-loop (TIL) experiment. In such TIL configuration, CBC mitigates both laser-amplification-induced and atmospheric turbulence-induced phase fluctuations simultaneously. CBC demonstrated proper operation outdoors, on a target located up to 1 km from the laser and the results from this experimental campaign will be described.
We report on recent advances at ONERA on fiber-based laser and lidar systems, in the perspective of future space-borne monitoring of greenhouse gas, especially CO2 and CH4. We first present an advancement status of research activities on high-peak-power single-frequency fiber lasers at 2.05 μm and 1.58 μm for CO2 monitoring, and at 1.64 μm for CH4, as well as perspectives for future amplification and frequency-stabilization of these lasers. The second parts deals with activities led on electro-optic dual comb spectroscopy (EO-DCS), which could be a potential future alternative technique to conventional space-borne IPDA lidars (Integrated Path Differential Absorption). We report on an EO-DCS experiment performed in pulsed regime, using an Er-Yb-doped amplifier delivering up to 92 μJ, 2μs pulses at 10 kHz repetition rate. An absorption line of HCN is sampled simultaneously by a 13-teeth frequency comb, and its transmission is measured with a good agreement with respect to the expectation.
KEYWORDS: Fiber lasers, Target detection, Turbulence, Laser development, Signal detection, Signal analyzers, Near field optics, Near field, Laser beam propagation, Fiber amplifiers
Coherent beam combining (CBC) by active phase control is an efficient way to power scale fiber amplifiers. Most often, CBC operates from measuring the phase differences between the lasers at their outputs, hence resulting in efficient combination of the laser beams in the very near-field. We developed a laser testbed coherently combining seven 1.5-µm fiber lasers through active phase control, using frequency-tagging to assess the phase fluctuations to be compensated for. The testbed can operate in a target-in-the-loop (TIL) configuration, with a detection sub-system designed to analyse the optical signal back-scattered by a remote target, in order to achieve coherent combining on the target rather than at the output of the lasers. In this paper, we present the testbed and its components, as well as the results obtained in direct coherent combining, operated at the output of the lasers, during the preliminary tests of the setup. Then, we present the results of the outdoor experimental campaign where the testbed is operated in a TIL-CBC configuration. Measurement of TIL-CBC efficiency when distance to the target is progressively increased from 15 meters to 1 km is detailed. As the experimental campaign took place in hot weather, with a close to the ground horizontal path of propagation for the laser beams, very strong turbulence conditions were encountered. However, efficient atmospheric turbulence compensation was demonstrated, confirming that TIL-CBC can be achieved, even under such detrimental turbulence conditions.
Simon Le Méhauté, Philippe Benoit, Nicolas Cézard, Didier Goular, Christophe Planchat, Matthieu Valla, Agnès Dolfi-Bouteyre, Xavier Watremez, Hervé Delbarre
Here we report on the development of a new coherent-DIAL system as well as first quantitative measurements of simultaneous gas mixing ratio and radial wind-speed with the instrument. Integrated measurement of atmospheric methane (CH4) mixing ratio between the instrument and a hard-target located at 2:25 km has been conducted with a relative precision of nearly 20% in 17 s. The measurement procedure also gives information on integrated water vapor (H2O) mixing ratio.
High energy fiber lasers emitting around 1579nm is seen as a possible technology for the laser unit of a spaceborn CO2 DIAL system. We are developing an all fiber system with the following expected performances: pulse energy of 260μJ, pulse duration 150ns, beam quality M2 <2, pulse linewidth <60 MHz, laser stability 200 kHz. One of our main concerns has been the radiation induced attenuation mitigation. Various fiber compositions have been investigated.
Nicolas Cézard, Anasthase Liméry, Johan Bertrand, Simon Le Méhauté, Philippe Benoit, Didier Fleury, Didier Goular, Christophe Planchat, Matthieu Valla, Béatrice Augère, Agnès Dolfi-Bouteyre
The capability of Lidars to perform range-resolved gas profiles makes them an appealing choice for many applications. In order to address new remote sensing challenges, arising from industrial contexts, Onera currently develops two lidar systems, one Raman and one DIAL. On the Raman side, a high spatial-resolution multi-channel Raman Lidar is developed in partnership with the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra). This development aims at enabling future monitoring of hydrogen gas and water vapor profiles inside disposal cells containing radioactive wastes. We report on the development and first tests of a three-channel Raman Lidar (H2, H2O, N2) designed to address this issue. Simultaneous hydrogen and water vapor profiles have been successfully performed along a 5m-long gas cell with 1m resolution at a distance of 85 m. On the DIAL side, a new instrumental concept is being explored and developed in partnership with Total E and P. The objective is to perform methane plume monitoring and flux assessment in the vicinity of industrials plants or platforms. For flux assessment, both gas concentration and air speed must be profiled by lidar. Therefore, we started developing a bi-function, all-fiber, coherent DIAL/Doppler Lidar. The first challenge was to design and build an appropriate fiber laser source. The achieved demonstrator delivers 200 W peak power, polarized, spectrally narrow (<15 MHz), 110 ns pulses of light out of a monomode fiber at 1645 nm. It fulfills the requirements for a future implementation in a bi-function Dial/Doppler lidar with km-range expectation. We report on the laser and lidar architecture, and on first lidar tests at 1645 nm.
KEYWORDS: Fiber lasers, Wavefronts, Laser sources, Diffraction gratings, Near field optics, Feedback loops, Near field, Diffractive optical elements, Adaptive optics, Control systems
We describe the coherent combining techniques that can be used to scale up fiber laser power far above single fiber laser limitations, and manipulate their wavefronts. The major configurations and realizations of coherent combining are then presented and compared in terms of maximum achievable number of combined lasers.
New Lidar applications related to aircraft safety in the area of an airport include mapping wind velocity and monitoring turbulences within a radius longer than 8km in a short acquisition time (360° map in 1 minute). During landing and takeoff, a minimal distance separation between aircrafts is set by referring to wake turbulence categories. However, it was shown that wake vortices can dissipate quicker because of atmospheric turbulence (characterized by eddy dissipation rate - EDR) or can be transported out of the way on oncoming traffic by cross-winds. Long range scanning Lidars provide radial wind data that can be used to calculate EDR.
To reach long range within a short acquisition time, coherent wind Lidars require high power (~kW), narrow linewidth (few MHz) pulsed laser sources with nearly TF limited pulse duration (~1μs). Eyesafe, all-fiber laser sources based on MOPFA (master oscillator, power fiber amplifier) architecture offer many advantages over bulk sources such as low sensitivity to vibrations, efficiency and versatility. However, narrow linewidth pulsed fiber lasers and amplifiers are usually limited by nonlinear effects such as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) to 300W with commercial fibers. We investigated various solutions to push this limit further. For example, a source based on a new fiber composition yielded a peak power of 1120W for 650ns pulse duration with excellent beam quality. Based on these innovative solutions we built a Lidar with a record range of 16km in 0.1s averaging time.
In this proceeding, we present some recent results obtained with our wind Lidars based on these high power sources with record ranges. EDR measurements using the developed algorithm based on structure function calculation are presented, as well as its validation with simulations and measurements campaign results.
Coherent beam combining (CBC) by active phase control could be useful for power scaling fiber-laser-pumped optical frequency converters like OPOs. However, a phase modulator operating at the frequency-converted wavelength is needed, which is non standard component. Fortunately, nonlinear conversion processes rely on a phase-matching condition correlating, not only the wave vectors of the coupled waves, but also their phases. This paper demonstrates that, using this phase correlation for indirect control of the phase, coherent combining of optical frequency converters is feasible using standard all-fibered electro-optic modulators.
For the sake of demonstration, this new technique is experimentally applied twice for continuous wave second-harmonic-generator (SHG) combination: i) combining 2 SHG of 1.55-μm erbium-doped fiber amplifiers in PPLN crystals generating 775-nm beams; ii) combining 2 SHG of 1.064-μm ytterbium-doped fiber amplifiers in LBO crystals generating 532-nm beams. Excellent CBC efficiency is achieved on the harmonic waves in both these experiments, with λ/20 and λ/30 residual phase error respectively.
In the second experiment, I/Q phase detection is added on fundamental and harmonic waves to measure their phase variations simultaneously. These measurements confirm the theoretical expectations and formulae of correlation between the phases of the fundamental and harmonic waves. Unexpectedly, in both experiments, when harmonic waves are phase-locked, a residual phase difference remains between the fundamen tal waves. Measurements of the spectrum of these residual phase differences locate them above 50 Hz, revealing that they most probably originate in fast-varying optical path differences induced by turbulence and acoustic-waves on the experimental breadboard.
Recent progress in fiber technology has enabled new laser designs along with all fiber lidar architectures. Their asset is
to avoid free-space optics, sparing lengthy alignment procedures and yielding compact setups that are well adapted for
field operations and on board applications thanks to their intrinsic vibration-resistant architectures. We present results in
remote sensing for disaster management recently achieved with fiber laser systems. Field trials of a 3-paths lidar
vibrometer for the remote study of modal parameters of buildings has shown that application-related constraints were
fulfilled and that the obtained results are consistent with simultaneous in situ seismic sensors measurements. Remote
multi-gas detection can be obtained using broadband infrared spectroscopy. Results obtained on methane concentration
measurement using an infrared supercontinuum fiber laser and analysis in the 3-4 μm band are reported. For gas flux
retrieval, air velocity measurement is also required. Long range scanning all-fiber wind lidars are now available thanks to
innovative laser architectures. High peak power highly coherent pulses can be extracted from Er3+:Yb3+ and Tm3+ active fibers using methods described in the paper. The additional laser power provides increased coherent lidar capability in range and scanning of large areas but also better system resistance to adverse weather conditions. Wind sensing at ranges beyond 10 km have been achieved and on-going tests of a scanning system dedicated to airport safety is reported.
A comprehensive approach to quantify more accurately the physical phenomena leading to blooming effects on infrared
sensors is proposed. Laser dazzling effects on mid-infrared HgCdTe focal-plane-array are investigated thanks to the use
of an experimental breadboard. This dedicated breadboard is capable of delivering intense laser spots on focal-planearrays
with accurate control of laser spot diameter, position, power and pulse time sequence. The main subsystems of
this experimental bench are described, laser sources, focusing optics, power control device and opto-electronic
synchronization. HgCdTe focal-plane-array dazzling experiments are then analyzed. The main parameters affecting
blooming are varied and the impact of spatial, time and energy characteristics on the resulting dazzled image are
assessed.
We investigate the feasibility of pulsed fiber amplifier coherent combining. Therefore, we characterize phase fluctuations
in low-peak-power pulsed fiber amplifiers using two different interferometric techniques. These measurements reveal
that for low peak-powers, phase fluctuations remain moderate during the pulses. Noticeable phase fluctuations occurring
between the pulses can be perfectly controlled using classical continuous-wave-efficient combining techniques. Results
of such realization combining two low-peak-power pulsed fiber amplifiers, using classical frequency-tagging coherent
combining techniques, are presented. Phase difference measurement is performed between pulses using a small signal
leak from the common master oscillator. For the first time to our knowledge, successful coherent combining of two low-peak-
power pulsed fiber amplifiers is thereby demonstrated.
We report of a ship borne off-axis laser warning sensor designed and built at Onera. Classical laser warning sensors
detect a laser beam when it is illuminating the warning sensor, meaning that the sensor is located along the laser
propagation axis. Hence, large ships are difficult to protect since they require multiple laser warning sensors installed at
various locations on the ship hull. On the contrary, the off-axis sensor collects the Mie scattered flux out of the beam
propagation axis and looks at the beam sideways. Therefore it can be designed so as to protect the whole ship with only
one sensor covering 360°. This paper describes the system and the instrument performance model in maritime
environment. Field trials off the Mediterranean coast were conducted by Thales Optronique in fall 2007 in order to
validate the concept in operational conditions.
Coherent beam combining of fiber amplifier arrays is an efficient way to overcome the physical limitations to fiber laser
power scaling. Moreover, coherent combining techniques involving active phase control of the laser emitters offer the
largest versatility, as they can also be used for complex purposes such as beam steering, wavefront shaping or
atmospheric turbulence compensation. We reported last year the first experimental demonstration of coherent combining
of fiber amplifiers on a remote scattering surface, after propagation through turbulent atmosphere, using the
backscattered signal. These results were achieved with a frequency-tagging technique, and appropriate spatial filtering to
lower sensitivity to backward turbulence, and compensate only for onward turbulent propagation. We present now
experimental measurements of turbulence strength and resulting residual phase error. With turbulence compensation
using the backscattered signal for phase control, this error is λ/15 rms. We also present the theoretical analysis of this
experiment, emphasizing how limiting the aperture and not the field of view of the phase difference measurement
subsystem reduces sensitivity to backward turbulence, without decreasing the optical flux on the detector.
We describe a 3D vision system TILT, designed and constructed at ONERA in France. The system was developed for mobile robotics applications and successfully tested on an outdoor vehicle. The system consists of two main units: the optical head and the electronic rack. Original aspects of TILT concern its fast frame rate and its angular resolution. Main parts are described and some results are discussed. Some images are analyzed, giving typical examples of possible performances.
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