Development of a Dual Wavelength Microchip Laser for NASA's Raman Mass Spectrometer (RAMS)

RAMS (Raman Mass Spectrometer) is a hybrid instrument with a combined capability of laser desorption mass spectrometry (LDMS) and Raman spectroscopy being built at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. It allows for comprehensive evaluation of organic and inorganic composition of in situ probed planetary surface samples, such as those found on Ocean worlds and other airless bodies throughout the Solar System. To enable this science capability, a unique Yb:YAG Microchip laser system followed by second and fourth harmonic frequency conversion has been developed to accommodate the instrument's specific needs. The RAMS laser is capable of outputting 257.5 and 515 nm, 1.0 ns pulses at 10 kHz with adjustable pulse energies ranging from <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0-20\mu \mathrm{J}$</tex> and <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$0-100\mu \mathrm{J}$</tex>, respectively. The laser system also provides a single shot or burst mode operations enabled by a high voltage electro-optic stage as well as spatial resolution imaging via a MEMS output mirror to allow for micron-scale rastering across the surface of collected samples.