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Author

Jirong Yu

Bio: Jirong Yu is an academic researcher from Langley Research Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Laser & Lidar. The author has an hindex of 21, co-authored 136 publications receiving 1788 citations.
Topics: Laser, Lidar, Medicine, Laser pumping, Fiber laser


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a theoretical laser model was developed that is easily adapted to any lanthanide ion in a crystal host, and the model was used to predict diode side-pumped laser performance.
Abstract: Lanthanide series ions are considered in the context of acquiring spectroscopic parameters and their application to modelling of quasifour-level lasers. Tm:Ho codoped crystals of YLiF4 (YLF) and the isomorphs LuLiF4 (LuLF) and GdLiF4 (GdLF) as 2.0 μm lasers are used for illustration of the experimental and theoretical techniques presented here. While these materials have similar physical properties, they differ in the strength of the crystal field at the site of optically active lanthanide dopant ions such as Tm3+ and Ho3+. This is due in part to the size of the Lu3+, Y3+, and Gd3+ ions, which comprise part of the host lattice, but ionicity plays a role as well. This selection of lanthanide: host materials provides a useful basis on which to assess laser materials with regards to changes in the strength of the crystal field at the dopant ion site. It is demonstrated that Tm:Ho:LuLF has a larger crystal field splitting than Tm:Ho:YLF and Tm:Ho:GdLF, leading to smaller thermal populations in the Ho lower laser level. To assess this effect quantitatively, the energy levels of the first ten manifolds in Ho:LuLF have been determined. Measurement of Ho:XLiF4 (X=Y,Lu,Gd) emission cross sections at 2.0 μm, Tm:XLiF4 pump absorption cross sections around 0.78 μm, manifold to manifold decay times and energy transfer parameters in Tm:Ho:XLiF4 systems are also determined to provide a consistent set of parameters to use in laser modeling. The techniques presented here are applicable to any lanthanide series ion in a crystalline host. A theoretical laser model has been developed that is easily adapted to any lanthanide ion in a crystal host. The model is used to predict diode side-pumped laser performance of Tm:Ho:LuLF and Tm:Ho:YLF using input parameters determined from the spectroscopy presented here. An explanation is presented for the improved performance of Tm:Ho:LuLF over Tm:Ho:YLF by modeling the laser. A demonstration that small changes in lower laser thermal population can substantially alter laser performance is noted, an effect that has not been fully appreciated previously.

183 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This is the first time to the authors' knowledge that a 2 microm laser has broken the joule per pulse barrier for Q-switched operation, and the total system efficiency reaches 5% and 6.2% for single- and double-pulse operation, respectively.
Abstract: Q-switched output of 1.1 J/pulse at a 2.053 microm wavelength has been achieved in a diode-pumped Ho: Tm: LuLF laser with a side-pumped rod configuration in a master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) architecture. This is the first time to our knowledge that a 2 microm laser has broken the joule per pulse barrier for Q-switched operation. The total system efficiency reaches 5% and 6.2% for single- and double-pulse operation, respectively. The system produces an excellent 1.4 times transform-limited beam quality.

154 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a coherent Doppler lidar at 2 m wavelength has been built with higher output energy 100 mJ than previously available, based on diode-pumped Ho:Tm:LuLiF, a recently developed laser material that allows more efficient energy extraction.
Abstract: A coherent Doppler lidar at 2 m wavelength has been built with higher output energy 100 mJ than previously available. The laser transmitter is based on diode-pumped Ho:Tm:LuLiF, a recently devel- oped laser material that allows more efficient energy extraction. Single- frequency operation is achieved by a ramp-and-fire injection seeding technique. An advanced photodetector architecture is used incorporating photodiodes in a dual-balanced configuration. A digital signal processing system has been built, allowing real-time display of wind and aerosol backscatter data products. The high pulse energy and receiver efficiency provides for measurement of wind fields to ranges not seen before with 2 m lidars, and example wind measurements were made to show this capability. © 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

134 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A 2 microm wavelength, 90 mJ, 5 Hz pulsed Ho laser is described with wavelength control to precisely tune and lock the wavelength at a desired offset up to 2.9 GHz from the center of a CO(2) absorption line.
Abstract: A 2 μm wavelength, 90 mJ, 5 Hz pulsed Ho laser is described with wavelength control to precisely tune and lock the wavelength at a desired offset up to 29 GHz from the center of a CO2 absorption line Once detuned from the line center the laser wavelength is actively locked to keep the wavelength within 19 MHz standard deviation about the setpoint This wavelength control allows optimization of the optical depth for a differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measuring atmospheric CO2 concentrations The laser transmitter has been coupled with a coherent heterodyne receiver for measurements of CO2 concentration using aerosol backscatter; wind and aerosols are also measured with the same lidar and provide useful additional information on atmospheric structure Range-resolved CO2 measurements were made with <24% standard deviation using 500 m range bins and 67 min⁡ (1000 pulse pairs) integration time Measurement of a horizontal column showed a precision of the CO2 concentration to <07% standard deviation using a 30 min⁡ (4500 pulse pairs) integration time, and comparison with a collocated in situ sensor showed the DIAL to measure the same trend of a diurnal variation and to detect shorter time scale CO2 perturbations For vertical column measurements the lidar was setup at the WLEF tall tower site in Wisconsin to provide meteorological profiles and to compare the DIAL measurements with the in situ sensors distributed on the tower up to 396 m height Assuming the DIAL column measurement extending from 153 m altitude to 1353 m altitude should agree with the tower in situ sensor at 396 m altitude, there was a 79 ppm rms difference between the DIAL and the in situ sensor using a 30 min⁡ rolling average on the DIAL measurement

122 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The high power and high beam quality of this diode-pumped, room-temperature Ho:Tm:YLF power oscillator make it well suited for use as a coherent wind lidar transmitter on a space platform.
Abstract: We describe a diode-pumped, room-temperature Ho:Tm:YLF power oscillator with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 0.03. A Q -switched output energy of as much as 125 mJ at 6 Hz with a pulse width of 170 ns was obtained. Single-frequency, nearly transform-limited operation of the laser was achieved by injection seeding. Laser performance as a function of laser rod temperature and pump intensity was also investigated. The high power and high beam quality of this laser make it well suited for use as a coherent wind lidar transmitter on a space platform.

121 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a review summarizes the different rare-earth cations and host materials used in mid-infrared fiber laser technology, and discusses the future applications and challenges for the field.
Abstract: Fibre lasers in the mid-infrared regime are useful for a diverse range of fields, including chemical and biomedical sensing, military applications and materials processing. This Review summarizes the different rare-earth cations and host materials used in mid-infrared fibre laser technology, and discusses the future applications and challenges for the field.

974 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Godard et al. as discussed by the authors reviewed the main technologies, restricted to continuous-wave (CW) and nanosecond pulsed sources emitting in the 2-12 µm range, and discussed the pros and cons of these technologies in the context of several selected applications.

355 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Recent advances of high-power continuous wave, Q-switched, mode-locked, and single-frequency fiber lasers in the 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 μm regions and their applications in such areas as industry, medicine, research, defense, and security are addressed in detail.
Abstract: Fiber lasers have seen progressive developments in terms of spectral coverage and linewidth, output power, pulse energy, and ultrashort pulse width since the first demonstration of a glass fiber laser in 1964. Their applications have extended into a variety of fields accordingly. In this paper, the milestones of glass fiber laser development are briefly reviewed and recent advances of high-power continuous wave, Q-switched, mode-locked, and single-frequency fiber lasers in the 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 μm regions and their applications in such areas as industry, medicine, research, defense, and security are addressed in detail.

318 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This review discusses the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to the problem of explosive residue detection and demonstrates the tremendous potential of LIBS for real-time detection of explosives residues at standoff distances.
Abstract: In this review we discuss the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to the problem of detection of residues of explosives. Research in this area presented in open literature is reviewed. Both laboratory and field-tested standoff LIBS instruments have been used to detect explosive materials. Recent advances in instrumentation and data analysis techniques are discussed, including the use of double-pulse LIBS to reduce air entrainment in the analytical plasma and the application of advanced chemometric techniques such as partial least-squares discriminant analysis to discriminate between residues of explosives and non-explosives on various surfaces. A number of challenges associated with detection of explosives residues using LIBS have been identified, along with their possible solutions. Several groups have investigated methods for improving the sensitivity and selectivity of LIBS for detection of explosives, including the use of femtosecond-pulse lasers, supplemental enhancement of the laser-induced plasma emission, and complementary orthogonal techniques. Despite the associated challenges, researchers have demonstrated the tremendous potential of LIBS for real-time detection of explosives residues at standoff distances.

290 citations