Solid state diode-pumped eye-safe lasers in remote sensing and ecological monitoring systems

The perspective of using diode pumped solid-state 1.5 — 2 µm lasers for synthesis of laser measurement systems is discussed. Comparative estimations of atmospheric transmission in spectral windows of 1 .0 — 1.1 µm, 1 .5 — 1.7 µm and 2.0-2.3 µm are made, and characteristics of solid-state lasers and low-threshold receivers are considered. It is shown that lasers based on Yb-Er glass and crystals doped with erbium and holmium ions are preferable to lasers based on non-linear optical converters of neodymium-lasers radiation to the 1.5 — 2 µm spectral region by their "efficiency/cost" ratio.