Broadband laser ranging: signal analysis and interpretation

Natalie Kostinski; Michelle A. Rhodes; Jared Catenacci; Marylesa Howard; Brandon M. La Lone; Patrick Younk; Adam Lodes; Corey V. Bennett; Patrick J. Harding

doi:10.1117/12.2255679

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22 February 2017 Broadband laser ranging: signal analysis and interpretation

Natalie Kostinski, Michelle A. Rhodes, Jared Catenacci, Marylesa Howard, Brandon M. La Lone, Patrick Younk, Adam Lodes, Corey V. Bennett, Patrick J. Harding

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Proceedings Volume 10089, Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications II; 100890G (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2255679
Event: SPIE LASE, 2017, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Broadband laser ranging (BLR) is essentially a spectral interferometer used to infer distance to a moving target. The light source is a mode-locked fiber laser, and chromatic dispersion maps the spectral interference pattern into the time domain, yielding chirped beat signals at the detector. A BLR record is a sequence of these chirped signals, representing consecutive target positions. To infer distance to a target, each underlying pulse envelope must be consistently registered and subtracted despite environmentally-induced variability. Then, nonlinear transformation of the phase is applied to remove the chirp, an FFT is performed to determine the peak frequency of the de-chirped signal, and a calibration factor relating de-chirped frequency to distance results in target position. Here, these analysis steps are discussed in detail.

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Natalie Kostinski, Michelle A. Rhodes, Jared Catenacci, Marylesa Howard, Brandon M. La Lone, Patrick Younk, Adam Lodes, Corey V. Bennett, and Patrick J. Harding "Broadband laser ranging: signal analysis and interpretation", Proc. SPIE 10089, Real-time Measurements, Rogue Phenomena, and Single-Shot Applications II, 100890G (22 February 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2255679

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