The 10th conference on coherent laser radar technology and applications is the latest in a series beginning in 1980, which provides a forum for exchange of information on recent events, current status, and future directions of coherent laser radar (or lidar or lader) technology and applications. This conference emphasizes the latest advancements in the coherent laser radar field, including theory, modeling, components, systems, instrumentation, measurements, calibration, data processing techniques, operational uses, and comparisons with other remote sensing technologies.
In today's world, the range of technologies with the potential to threaten the security of U.S. military forces is extremely broad. These include developments in explosive materials, sensors, control systems, robotics, satellite systems, and computing power, to name just a few. Such technologies have not only enhanced the capabilities of U.S. military forces, but also offer enhanced offensive capabilities to potential adversaries - either directly through the development of more sophisticated weapons, or more indirectly through opportunities for interrupting the function of defensive U.S. military systems. Passive and active electro-optical (EO) sensing technologies are prime examples. Laser Radar considers the potential of active EO technologies to create surprise; i.e., systems that use a source of visible or infrared light to interrogate a target in combination with sensitive detectors and processors to analyze the returned light. The addition of an interrogating light source to the system adds rich new phenomenologies that enable new capabilities to be explored. This report evaluates the fundamental, physical limits to active EO sensor technologies with potential military utility; identifies key technologies that may help overcome the impediments within a 5-10 year timeframe; considers the pros and cons of implementing each existing or emerging technology; and evaluates the potential uses of active EO sensing technologies, including 3D mapping and multi-discriminate laser radar technologies.
Since publication of the first edition of this text in 1998, there have been several new, important developments in the theory of beam wave propagation through a random medium, which have been incorporated into this second edition. Also new to this edition are models for the scintillation index under moderate-to-strong irradiance fluctuations; models for aperture averaging based on ABCD ray matrices; beam wander and its effects on scintillation; theory of partial coherence of the source; models of rough targets for ladar applications; phase fluctuations; analysis of other beam shapes; plus expanded analysis of free-space optical communication systems and imaging systems.
"LiDAR technology and Systems is a tutorial book, covering LiDAR Technology. The introduction sets lidar in context, as one of many sensor technologies utilizing electro-magnetic radiation. LiDAR is in the optical and infrared wavelengths, and it is an active sensor, which collects reflected EM radiation. It is similar to more familiar passive EO/IR sensors in wavelength, and similar to radar in that it uses reflected radiation emitted by the sensor. The second chapter goes the > 50 years of lidar history. Chapter 3 covers the link budget - how much signal a LiDAR must emit in order to get a certain number of reflected photons back. Chapter 4 discusses the rich phenomenology of LiDAR. One of the strengths of LiDAR is its' diverse phenomenology's. As a result, there are many flavors of LiDAR. The most common is 3D imaging, but there are many other types of lidars, with different measurement objectives. The next 4 chapters discuss components of a LiDAR. Chapter 5 discusses laser sources, chapter 6 LiDAR receivers, chapter 7 beam steering approaches, and chapter 8 LiDAR processing. The last 3 chapters are testing, metrics, and applications. Chapter 11, the applications chapter, picks 4 popular applications and discusses these LiDARs, and how to build them, for these applications. Chapter 11 as a result will repeats some information in earlier chapters, but in the context of a particular application"--
The main fields represented at this school are: laser physics, gas lasers, laser applications in materials processing and microelectronics, non-linear and fiber optics, remote laser atmospheric sounding and laser spectroscopy.
