A study of atmospheric optical scattering parameters at 1.5 and 2 micron region for solid state Doppler lidar applications

The increasing interest in the development of an eye-safe, solid state, Doppler lidar for avionic applications has created the need for a quantitative evaluation of atmospheric effects on performance. Theoretical calculations were completed for optical scattering parameters to be compared with the field measurements. Computer codes were developed for the required calculations and designed to be interactive and user friendly in order to support comparison with experimental results and, thus, provide the basis for evaluation of eye-safe Doppler lidar over a wide range of atmospheric conditions and geographical locations. A holmium Doppler lidar operating at 2.09 microns was constructed for atmospheric backscattering, attenuation, and wind velocity measurements. Theoretical calculations and field studies were performed for backscatter coefficients. The selected wavelengths correspond to Er:glass, Tm:YAG, and Tm,Ho:YAG solid state lasers that are suitable for use in an eye-safe Doppler lidar system.