Development of Tm,Ho:YLF laser for future space-based Doppler wind lidar

Most of space-based observing systems make water-vapor- and temperature-related measurements, while space-based observing systems for wind measurement is limited. The current passive space-based observing systems for wind measurement has a large coverage area and high temporal and horizontal resolutions but has a low vertical resolution. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) wants to develop space-based wind profiling systems. A Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) is a useful and power technology for wind measurement and it can be designed as compact mobile, airborne, and space-based systems. DWL would provide us with a wind profile having high vertical resolution, low bias, and good precision, and it is necessary to fill the gap of current observations. The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) is developing a single-frequency high-energy Tm,Ho:YLF laser, 2-mu m key technology and instrument for a future space-based coherent DWL. We demonstrated the Tm,Ho:YLF laser producing a pulse energy of 125 mJ operating at 30 Hz meeting requirements for the future space-based coherent DWL. In the paper, we will describe recent progress at NICT.