Development of Advanced Seed Laser Modules for Lidar and Spectroscopy Applications

We report on recent progress made in the development of highly compact, single mode, distributed feedback laser (DFB) seed laser modules for lidar and spectroscopy applications from space based platforms. One of the intended application of this technology is in the NASA's Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights, Days, and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission. The DFB laser modules operating at 1571 nm and 1262 nm have advanced current and temperature drivers built into them. A combination of temperature and current tuning allows coarse and fine adjustment of the diode wavelengths.