Laser Development at Q-Peak for Remote Sensing

Q-Peak has been developing solid state laser and nonlinear optical systems applied to remote sensing for nearly 20 years. Our first devices were based on the use of gas-discharge lamps to optically pump the laser crystals, a standard technology that traces back to 1960 with the first laser demonstration, using ruby (Cr 3+ :Al 2 O 3 ) as the laser material. In later and most current systems we have employed the newer and more efficient use of semiconductor diode lasers as pump sources, which has allowed operation at higher levels of performance and makes practical the deployment of satellite-based, active remote-sensing systems.