Abstract
The heterodyne detection efficiency for a 1-μm coherent atmospheric backscatter lidar was numerically calculated using a Monte Carlo technique which included a simple model for the effects of atmospheric turbulence. The results show that the heterodyne detection efficiency of a single-element detector is severely reduced by the effects of atmospheric turbulence, but that the use of an appropriate sized, multiple-element heterodyne detector array can overcome these effects. In addition, the statistical fluctuation (signal-to-noise ratio) of the lidar signal was also calculated and showed that the use of a heterodyne detector array can increase the accuracy to that for direct detection.
© 1991 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
Kin Pui Chan, Dennis K. Killinger, and Nobuo Sugimoto
Appl. Opt. 30(18) 2617-2627 (1991)
Kin Pui Chan and Dennis K. Killinger
Appl. Opt. 31(10) 1505-1510 (1992)
Kin Pui Chan and Dennis K. Killinger
Opt. Lett. 16(16) 1219-1221 (1991)