Abstract

A laser ranging system has been developed in which an image converter tube equipped with deflection plates is used to make a precise measurement of the fractional amount by which the time of flight of the ranging pulse exceeds an integral multiple N of the period of a stable oscillator. The value of N is determined in an auxiliary measurement. In short-range tests with a laboratory breadboard version of the system, time-of-flight uncertainties of about 45 psec were observed. The corresponding uncertainty in a range measurement is smaller than 7 mm.

© 1973 Optical Society of America

Dielectric Mirror Damage by Laser Radiation over a Range of Pulse Durations and Beam Radii

E. S. Bliss, D. Milam, and R. A. Bradbury
Appl. Opt. 12(4) 677-689 (1973)

Impulse Rise and Fall Times of Biplanar Vacuum Photodiodes

R. L. Smith and T. Honda
Appl. Opt. 12(7) 1606-1610 (1973)

Pulsed multiwavelength laser ranging system for measuring atmospheric delay

James B. Abshire
Appl. Opt. 19(20) 3436-3440 (1980)

Pioneer Imaging Photopolarimeter Optical System

S. F. Pellicori, E. E. Russell, and L. A. Watts
Appl. Opt. 12(6) 1246-1258 (1973)

Laser-Induced Damage Probability at 1.06 μm and 0.69 μm

Michael Bass and Harrison H. Barrett
Appl. Opt. 12(4) 690-699 (1973)