High spectral resolution lidars (HSRLs) have shown great value in aircraft aerosol remote sensing application and are planned for future satellite missions. A compact, robust, quasi-monolithic tilted field-widened Michelson interferometer is being developed as the spectral discrimination filter for an second-generation HSRL(HSRL-2) at NASA Langley Research Center. The Michelson interferometer consists of a cubic beam splitter, a solid arm and an air arm. Piezo stacks connect the air arm mirror to the body of the interferometer and can tune the interferometer within a small range. The whole interferometer is tilted so that the standard Michelson output and the reflected complementary output can both be obtained. In this paper, the transmission ratio is proposed to evaluate the performance of the spectral filter for HSRL. The transmission ratios over different types of system imperfections, such as cumulative wavefront error, locking error, reflectance of the beam splitter and anti-reflection coatings, system tilt, and depolarization angle are analyzed. The requirements of each imperfection for good interferometer performance are obtained.

© 2012 OSA

1. C. Weitkamp and E. Eloranta, “High Spectral Resolution Lidar,” in Lidar (Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2005), pp. 143–163.
2. S. T. Shipley, D. H. Tracy, E. W. Eloranta, J. T. Trauger, J. T. Sroga, F. L. Roesler, and J. A. Weinman, “High spectral resolution lidar to measure optical scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols. 1: theory and instrumentation,” Appl. Opt.22(23), 3716–3724 (1983). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. M. Esselborn, M. Wirth, A. Fix, M. Tesche, and G. Ehret, “Airborne high spectral resolution lidar for measuring aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficients,” Appl. Opt.47(3), 346–358 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. J. W. Hair, C. A. Hostetler, A. L. Cook, D. B. Harper, R. A. Ferrare, T. L. Mack, W. Welch, L. R. Izquierdo, and F. E. Hovis, “Airborne high spectral resolution lidar for profiling aerosol optical properties,” Appl. Opt.47(36), 6734–6752 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. D. Bruneau and J. Pelon, “Simultaneous measurements of particle backscattering and extinction coefficients and wind velocity by lidar with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer: principle of operation and performance assessment,” Appl. Opt.42(6), 1101–1114 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. C.-Y. She, “Spectral structure of laser light scattering revisited: bandwidths of nonresonant scattering lidars,” Appl. Opt.40(27), 4875–4884 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. S. T. Shipley, D. H. Tracy, E. W. Eloranta, J. T. Trauger, J. T. Sroga, F. L. Roesler, and J. A. Weinman, “High spectral resolution lidar to measure optical scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols. 1: theory and instrumentation,” Appl. Opt.22(23), 3716–3724 (1983). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. P. B. Russell, T. J. Swissler, and M. P. McCormick, “Methodology for error analysis and simulation of lidar aerosol measurements,” Appl. Opt.18(22), 3783–3797 (1979). [PubMed]
9. A. Ansmann, M. Riebesell, and C. Weitkamp, “Measurement of atmospheric aerosol extinction profiles with a Raman lidar,” Opt. Lett.15(13), 746–748 (1990). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. M. J. McGill and W. R. Skinner, “Multiple Fabry-Perot interferometers in an incoherent Doppler lidar,” Opt. Eng.36(1), 139–145 (1997). [CrossRef]
11. A. Heliere, A. Lefebvre, T. Wehr, J.-L. Bezy, and Y. Durand, “The EarthCARE mission: Mission concept and lidar instrument pre-development,” in the 23rd International Laser Radar Conference (IEEE International, Nara, Japan, 2006).
12. P. Piironen and E. W. Eloranta, “Demonstration of a high-spectral-resolution lidar based on an iodine absorption filter,” Opt. Lett.19(3), 234–236 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. J. W. Hair, L. M. Caldwell, D. A. Krueger, and C.-Y. She, “High-spectral-resolution lidar with iodine-vapor filters: measurement of atmospheric-state and aerosol profiles,” Appl. Opt.40(30), 5280–5294 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. J. Ring and J. W. Schofield, “Field-compensated michelson spectrometers,” Appl. Opt.11(3), 507–516 (1972). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. G. G. Shepherd, W. A. Gault, D. W. Miller, Z. Pasturczyk, S. F. Johnston, P. R. Kosteniuk, J. W. Haslett, D. J. W. Kendall, and J. R. Wimperis, “WAMDII: wide-angle Michelson Doppler imaging interferometer for Spacelab,” Appl. Opt.24(11), 1571–1584 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. D. Malacara, Optical Shop Testing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, 2007).
17. P. Hariharan, Optical Interferometry (Academic Press, 2003).
18. W. A. Gault, S. F. Johnston, and D. J. W. Kendall, “Optimization of a field-widened Michelson interferometer,” Appl. Opt.24(11), 1604–1608 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. “Matlab Peaks Function,” (The Mathworks), http://www.mathworks.com/help/techdoc/ref/peaks.html .
20. http://www.lightmachinery.com/Fluid-Jet-Polishing.html .

Appl. Opt.

• S. T. Shipley, D. H. Tracy, E. W. Eloranta, J. T. Trauger, J. T. Sroga, F. L. Roesler, and J. A. Weinman, “High spectral resolution lidar to measure optical scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols. 1: theory and instrumentation,” Appl. Opt.22(23), 3716–3724 (1983). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Esselborn, M. Wirth, A. Fix, M. Tesche, and G. Ehret, “Airborne high spectral resolution lidar for measuring aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficients,” Appl. Opt.47(3), 346–358 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. W. Hair, C. A. Hostetler, A. L. Cook, D. B. Harper, R. A. Ferrare, T. L. Mack, W. Welch, L. R. Izquierdo, and F. E. Hovis, “Airborne high spectral resolution lidar for profiling aerosol optical properties,” Appl. Opt.47(36), 6734–6752 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. Bruneau and J. Pelon, “Simultaneous measurements of particle backscattering and extinction coefficients and wind velocity by lidar with a Mach-Zehnder interferometer: principle of operation and performance assessment,” Appl. Opt.42(6), 1101–1114 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C.-Y. She, “Spectral structure of laser light scattering revisited: bandwidths of nonresonant scattering lidars,” Appl. Opt.40(27), 4875–4884 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. T. Shipley, D. H. Tracy, E. W. Eloranta, J. T. Trauger, J. T. Sroga, F. L. Roesler, and J. A. Weinman, “High spectral resolution lidar to measure optical scattering properties of atmospheric aerosols. 1: theory and instrumentation,” Appl. Opt.22(23), 3716–3724 (1983). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. B. Russell, T. J. Swissler, and M. P. McCormick, “Methodology for error analysis and simulation of lidar aerosol measurements,” Appl. Opt.18(22), 3783–3797 (1979). [PubMed]
• J. W. Hair, L. M. Caldwell, D. A. Krueger, and C.-Y. She, “High-spectral-resolution lidar with iodine-vapor filters: measurement of atmospheric-state and aerosol profiles,” Appl. Opt.40(30), 5280–5294 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• J. Ring and J. W. Schofield, “Field-compensated michelson spectrometers,” Appl. Opt.11(3), 507–516 (1972). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• G. G. Shepherd, W. A. Gault, D. W. Miller, Z. Pasturczyk, S. F. Johnston, P. R. Kosteniuk, J. W. Haslett, D. J. W. Kendall, and J. R. Wimperis, “WAMDII: wide-angle Michelson Doppler imaging interferometer for Spacelab,” Appl. Opt.24(11), 1571–1584 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• W. A. Gault, S. F. Johnston, and D. J. W. Kendall, “Optimization of a field-widened Michelson interferometer,” Appl. Opt.24(11), 1604–1608 (1985). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Eng.

• M. J. McGill and W. R. Skinner, “Multiple Fabry-Perot interferometers in an incoherent Doppler lidar,” Opt. Eng.36(1), 139–145 (1997). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• P. Piironen and E. W. Eloranta, “Demonstration of a high-spectral-resolution lidar based on an iodine absorption filter,” Opt. Lett.19(3), 234–236 (1994). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Ansmann, M. Riebesell, and C. Weitkamp, “Measurement of atmospheric aerosol extinction profiles with a Raman lidar,” Opt. Lett.15(13), 746–748 (1990). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• C. Weitkamp and E. Eloranta, “High Spectral Resolution Lidar,” in Lidar (Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2005), pp. 143–163.
• A. Heliere, A. Lefebvre, T. Wehr, J.-L. Bezy, and Y. Durand, “The EarthCARE mission: Mission concept and lidar instrument pre-development,” in the 23rd International Laser Radar Conference (IEEE International, Nara, Japan, 2006).
• D. Malacara, Optical Shop Testing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, 2007).
• P. Hariharan, Optical Interferometry (Academic Press, 2003).
• “Matlab Peaks Function,” (The Mathworks), http://www.mathworks.com/help/techdoc/ref/peaks.html .
• http://www.lightmachinery.com/Fluid-Jet-Polishing.html .

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