Optical filter
AssigneesUniversity Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Montana State University, NASA Langley Research Center
InventorsScott M. Spuler, Kevin S. Repasky, Amin R. Nehrir
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Abstract
A filter for a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR is provided. The filter comprises an etalon including a free spectral range substantially the same as a difference between a first laser wavelength and a second laser wavelength, the etalon further including a finesse providing substantial background noise suppression and substantially constant transmission of the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength over a predetermined range of wavelengths, and a first filter having a first filter bandpass selected to include the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength.
Claims18
A filter for a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR comprising:
- an etalon including a free spectral range substantially the same as a difference between a first laser wavelength and a second laser wavelength, the etalon further including a finesse providing substantial background noise suppression and substantially constant transmission of the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength over a predetermined range of wavelengths;
- and
- a first filter having a first filter bandpass selected to include the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength.
A method for filtering a return signal from a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR comprising the steps of:
- filtering the return signal using an etalon, the etalon including a free spectral range substantially the same as a difference between a first laser wavelength and a second laser wavelength, the etalon further including a finesse providing substantial background noise suppression and substantially constant transmission of the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength over a predetermined range of wavelengths;
- and
- filtering the return signal received from the etalon using a first filter, the first filter having a first filter bandpass selected to include the first laser wavelength and the second laser wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.