Improved laser system helps telescopes draw more accurate space data: Aussie researchers

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua| 2020-04-04 14:04:14|Editor: zyl

SYDNEY, April 4 (Xinhua) -- Australian researchers said they have developed an improved laser system that will help large optical telescopes gather more accurate data, offering major applications in optical free-space and ground-to-earth communications, space debris imaging and tracking, and astronomy.

The project involves using precisely tuned lasers to energize atoms in a segment of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of about 90 km, re-emitting laser light to temporarily create a glowing artificial star, according to a Macquarie University statement late Friday.

Generating specific wavelengths for the process "has been a notorious challenge that has so far needed impractical approaches", but researchers have shown that their diamond Raman lasers are "a highly efficient way to generate the precise output needed", the university said.

The findings, reported in scientific journal Optics Letters, showed that "the laser delivered higher power and efficiency than previous guide star laser systems of its type".

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