LAUSR

As one crucial component for the latest generation of adaptive optics, tremendous efforts have been put into the development of high performance 20 W class sodium laser guide star laser system. Two such systems, the continuous wave laser by Toptica, and the quasi-continuous pulse laser by TIPC were extensively studied with simulation and field tests. A new type of 20 W class sodium laser, macro–micro pulse laser, is currently being developed by CIOMP. In this paper, we will study its on-sky performance with simulation based on Monte Carlo rate equation method. The predicted coupling efficiency for this laser in the zenith direction in Changchun is 179.73 photons s−1 W−1/(atoms m−2). The variation of coupling efficiency of this type of laser with pointing direction and the effect of D2b repumping are also studied and reported in this paper.