Automated rejection of parasitic frequency sidebands in heterodyne-detection LIDAR applications

A technique is described for the detection of the sporadic onset of multiaxial mode behavior of a normally single-mode TEA CO2 laser. The technique is implemented using primarily commercial circuit modules; it incorporates a peak detector that displays the RF detector output on a digital voltmeter, and a LED bar graph. The technique was successfully demonstrated with an existing coherent atmospheric LIDAR facility utilizing an injection-seeded single-mode TEA CO2 laser. The block schematic diagram is included.