Title :
Timing stability of active Q-switched mode-locked laser for synchronous laser ranging network
Author :
Kunimori, Hiroo ; Otsubo, Toshimichi ; Engelkemier, Bret ; Yoshino, Taizoh ; Greene, Ben
Author_Institution :
Commun. Res. Lab., Minist. of Posts & Telecommun., Koganei, Japan
Abstract :
The Communications Research Laboratory (CRL) has been developing a laser time synchronization system based on a satellite laser ranging (SLR). The system directs to control all the firing time of the pulse laser so that each laser pulse reaches at a target satellite exactly on a specified epoch within 100 ns. A conventional Nd:YAG active-passive laser has been upgraded to an active Q-switched mode-locked laser to reduce the firing time jitters with respect to command time. The epoch triggered fire control has also been introduced to ensure command time to take account on prediction, clock error and other fixed delay. It has been demonstrated that the timing stability of firing is several 10 ns level including one way range prediction error to a target satellite
Keywords :
Q-switching; laser frequency stability; laser mode locking; laser ranging; neodymium; optical links; satellite links; solid lasers; synchronisation; time measurement; 10 ns; 100 ns; Communications Research Laboratory; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; active Q-switched mode-locked laser; clock error; command time; control; firing time; firing time jitters; fixed delay; prediction; pulse laser; satellite laser ranging; synchronous laser ranging network; target satellite; timing stability; Artificial satellites; Communication system control; Control systems; Jitter; Laser mode locking; Laser stability; Optical control; Optical pulses; Synchronization; Timing;
Conference_Titel :
Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference, 1994. IMTC/94. Conference Proceedings. 10th Anniversary. Advanced Technologies in I & M., 1994 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Hamamatsu
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-1880-3
DOI :
10.1109/IMTC.1994.351951
