Experimental and numerical results of optical preamplification in a laser Doppler anemometer receiving head

The first application of a fiber amplifier in a laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) system is presented. Using an Nd-doped fiber amplifier as optical preamplifier in a conventional 1064-nm LDA, a small signal gain of 30 and 35 dB signal-to-noise (SNR) enhancement of the LDA radiation are achieved. The amplifier model, numerical, and experimental results are described.