Patent Document ID: 9905992
Application ID: 15461394
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A lidar system comprising: a self-Raman laser comprising a Raman-active gain medium and a Q-switch, wherein the self-Raman laser is configured to: produce Q-switched pulses of light at a lasing wavelength of the self-Raman laser; Raman-shift, in the Raman-active gain medium, at least a portion of the Q-switched pulses to produce Raman-shifted pulses of light, wherein the Raman-shifted pulses have a Raman-shifted wavelength that is longer than the lasing wavelength; and emit at least a portion of the Raman-shifted pulses, wherein the emitted Raman-shifted pulses of light have optical characteristics comprising: a pulse duration less than or equal to 20 nanoseconds; a duty cycle less than or equal to 1%; a pulse energy greater than or equal to 10 nanojoules; and a peak power greater than or equal to 1 watt; a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard; a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system; and a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light to travel from the lidar system to the target and back to the lidar system.