Adaptive optics technology plays an increasingly important role in the development of large ground-based optical astronomical telescopes, whereas the 589 nm sodium guiding star laser (SGSL) is the key to this technology. According to different generation ways, this paper reviews dye SGSL, all solid state SGSL and optical fiber SGSL, with emphases on analysis and comparison of all solid state SGSLs operating in different modes in terms of laser generation and photon-return efficiency of laser guide star. Compared with continuous wave SGSL, SGSL operating in microsecond pulse mode can use time gating mechanism to improve the imaging accuracy of sodium guide star, which provides an excellent beacon for adaptive optics correction.

sodium guide star laser  /  adaptive optics  /  sum frequency  /  fiber Raman amplification