HIGH POWER, 10.6 MICRONS RADAR TRANSMITTER.

The research efforts and accomplishments on a program to develop a high power, 10.6 microns transmitter suitable for use in an optical radar system are described. Considerations of the radar requirements indicate that the transmitter should be a MOPA device operating in a pulsed optical mode. The physical mechanisms of the CO2 amplifier excitation processes and gain saturation effects are discussed to provide an understanding and a basis for improving the CO2 amplifier performance. Detailed studies of the small signal gain and gain saturation parameters are presented to provide amplifier design criteria. CO2 amplifier medium distortion effects and diffraction effects are discussed with a resulting approach to achieving diffraction limited output performance. The completion of both contracts has resulted in a high power, 10.6 microns radar transmitter which operates in a pulsed optical mode of 10 microsec to 1000 microsec pulse duration at 10,000 to 1,000 pps repetition rate with a 1 kW average power output in an approximately diffraction limited beam. Details of the output power characteristics, physical description and working drawings, power supply manuals, and operating instructions are included. Author