US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Gregory R Osche

Robert S Rohde

Rudolph G Buser

Neal T Nomiyama

Henry E Sonntag

The tail of a carbon-dioxide (CO.sub.2) transverse electrode discharge at mospheric pressure (TEA) laser pulse optical signal is pulse code modulated by a Pockels Cell. A modulation depth of 100% is obtained to prevent high false alarm rates under dynamic transmission conditions. The device external to the laser cavity will extend the capabilities of the CO.sub.2 TEA laser by using a tail for information transfer while preserving the gain switch spike for rangefinding. A high repetition rate is achieved using a power supply that electrically charges and discharges the Pockels Cell which, in turn, activates the polarization switch.

Pulse code modulation of laser pulse tail

A means for producing uniform discharges in carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) transversely excited atmospheric (TEA) lasers by the utilization of a fine wire as the central (cathode) electrode coaxially disposed in a cylindrical outer (anode) electrode having a diameter selectively chosen to provide a large ratio of outer to inner electrode radii which as a consequence produces a radial gain profile which is well localized in the center of the discharge tube and accordingly allows for efficient matching of low order stable optical modes to the active gain region while providing a high degree of mode selectivity in favor of these modes.

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Ocean, NJ, United States of America

Gregory R Osche