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Heterodyne Ladar System Efficiency Enhancement Using Single-Mode Optical Fiber Mixers, Donald K. Jacob, Martin B. Mark, Bradley D. Duncan
Heterodyne Ladar System Efficiency Enhancement Using Single-Mode Optical Fiber Mixers, Donald K. Jacob, Martin B. Mark, Bradley D. Duncan
Bradley D. Duncan
A theoretical performance analysis of a heterodyne ladar system incorporating a single-mode fiber receiver has been performed. For our purposes, the performance parameters of interest are the coupling and mixing efficiency of the ladar receiver, as they relate to the overall system carrier-to-noise ratio. For a receiver incorporating a single-mode fiber mixer, the received and local-oscillator fields are matched both spatially and temporally at the detector, yielding 100% mixing efficiency. We have therefore focused our efforts on determining an expression for the efficiency with which a diffuse return from a purely speckle target can be coupled into the receiving leg …
Sensitivity Improvement Of A 1-Μm Ladar System Incorporating An Active Optical Fiber Preamplifier, Michael S. Salisbury, Paul F. Mcmanamon, Bradley D. Duncan
Sensitivity Improvement Of A 1-Μm Ladar System Incorporating An Active Optical Fiber Preamplifier, Michael S. Salisbury, Paul F. Mcmanamon, Bradley D. Duncan
Bradley D. Duncan
In an effort to increase the SNR of a continuous wave, 1-μm all solid state ladar system, a rare-earth-doped optical fiber amplifier is investigated as a preamplifier for ladar return signals. The experimental system is detailed and a theoretical analysis of the fiber amplifier's effect on both heterodyne and direct detection schemes is provided. Beginning with the optical powers incident on the detector, the signal and noises are analyzed, through the detector electronics, to predict the SNR. The SNR is then plotted as a function of the return signal power, and a SNR threshold is defined to determine a minimum …