Eyesafe laser transceiver

This final report details the work carried out to design, fabricate and test a brassboard 1.73 micrometer eyesafe transceiver. The objective of the program was to develop a compact, efficient 1.73 micrometer Er:YLF laser and to couple the laser to a Germanium photodiode receiver. On this program 10-30mJ of Q-switched 1.73 micrometer laser output was obtained, for pump energies of 20-30 Joules, from a compact Er:YLF laser. Repetitively pulsed Q-switched laser operation was maintained for 10 seconds without significant loss of output. The laser was coupled to a germanium photodiode receiver and ranging was demonstrated, with high S/N, to a variety of non-cooperative targets at ranges of 1-2Km; projected ranging capability is 4-5Km. The brassboard transceiver was delivered to the Night Vision Laboratory.