US 9,812,838 B2 | ||
Pulsed laser for lidar system | ||
Alain Villeneuve, Mont-Royal (CA); and Jason M. Eichenholz, Orlando, FL (US) | ||
Assigned to Luminar Technologies, Inc., Portola Valley, CA (US) | ||
Filed by Luminar Technologies, Inc., Portola Valley, CA (US) | ||
Filed on Mar. 27, 2017, as Appl. No. 15/470,694. | ||
Application 15/470,694 is a continuation of application No. 15/363,795, filed on Nov. 29, 2016. | ||
Claims priority of provisional application 62/261,214, filed on Nov. 30, 2015. | ||
Prior Publication US 2017/0201059 A1, Jul. 13, 2017 | ||
Int. Cl. G01C 3/08 (2006.01); H01S 3/067 (2006.01); G01S 7/483 (2006.01); H01S 3/10 (2006.01); H01S 3/00 (2006.01); G01S 17/02 (2006.01) |
CPC H01S 3/06754 (2013.01) [G01S 7/483 (2013.01); G01S 17/02 (2013.01); H01S 3/0007 (2013.01); H01S 3/0078 (2013.01); H01S 3/0085 (2013.01); H01S 3/0675 (2013.01); H01S 3/10023 (2013.01)] | 24 Claims |
1. A lidar system comprising:
a seed laser configured to produce optical seed pulses at one or more operating wavelengths between approximately 1400 nm
and 2050 nm, wherein the seed laser comprises:
a plurality of laser diodes; and
an optical multiplexer configured to combine light produced by the plurality of laser diodes into a single optical fiber;
a first fiber-optic amplifier configured to amplify the optical seed pulses with a first gain to produce a first amplifier
output that comprises amplified seed pulses and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE);
a first optical filter configured to remove from the first-amplifier output at least a portion of the ASE by transmitting
light at the one or more operating wavelengths and attenuating light at other wavelengths by at least 20 dB;
a second fiber-optic amplifier configured to receive the amplified seed pulses from the first optical filter and to amplify
them with a second gain to produce output pulses having a pulse repetition frequency less than or equal to 100 MHz, a pulse
duration less than or equal to 20 nanoseconds, a duty cycle less than or equal to 1%, a pulse energy greater than or equal
to 10 nanojoules, a peak power greater than or equal to 1 watt, and an average power less than or equal to 50 watts, the ASE
comprising less than or equal to 25% of the average power; and
a plurality of sensor heads to direct at least a portion of the output pulses into a plurality of fields of view and to detect
reflected or scattered light therefrom.
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