Extending the Observational Range of the MicroPulse DIAL (MPD) Instrument Through Shot-To-Shot Modification of Laser Pulse Characteristics

NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research, Earth Observing Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published online: 9 April 2026

Abstract

An experimental timing system is described that modifies the laser pulse characteristics shot-to-shot for a semiconductor-laser-based lidar system. An example is explored where the modification of laser pulse length allows for the system to reduce its minimum observable range by alternating relatively narrow pulses (on the order of 10-200 ns) with relatively wide laser pulses (on the order of 1 µs) to maintain sufficient average power to see at long ranges. This effectively creates a low- and high-gain receiver configuration with identical optical alignment properties without adding any optical components.