The requirements on pulsed laser diodes for use in atmospheric LiDAR

Atmospheric LiDAR wavelength range covers from the UV to the thermal infrared. Depending on the main application, the specification in terms of power, repetition rate, spectral width, coherence length temperature dependence, peak power, pulse duration are very wide. This paper presents the different types of atmospheric LiDAR already existing with their sources. It emphasizes on the specifications of the laser sources and defines the specifications of laser diode in replacement of the standard laser sources.