Injection seeded ns-pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 1116 nm for Fe-LIDAR

We present a side-respectively end-pumped Nd:YAG laser system at a laser wavelength of 1116 nm. The third harmonic of this wavelength at 372 nm can be used for LIDAR detection of molecular iron in the middle atmosphere at the height of about 70 to 120 km. Such measurements give information about temperature profiles and wind speeds in this atmospheric region and thus help in validating and calibrating global circulation models [1, 2].