| Autor: |
Khoury, Jed, Woods, Charles L., Lorenzo, Joseph, Kierstead, John, Pyburn, Dana, Sengupta, Sandip K. |
| Zdroj: |
Applied Optics; February 2006, Vol. 45 Issue: 4 p697-704, 8p |
| Abstrakt: |
We introduce a new design concept of laser radar systems that combines both phase comparison and time-of-flight methods. We show from signal-to-noise ratio considerations that there is a fundamental limit to the overall resolution in three-dimensional imaging range laser radar (ladar). We introduce a new metric, volume of resolution, and we show from quantum noise considerations that there is a maximum resolution volume that can be achieved for a given set of system parameters. Consequently, there is a direct trade-off between range resolution and spatial resolution. Thus, in a ladar system, range resolution may be maximized at the expense of spatial image resolution and vice versa. We introduce resolution efficiency etar as a new figure of merit for ladar that describes system resolution under the constraints of a specific design, compared with its optimal resolution performance derived from quantum noise considerations. We analyze how the resolution efficiency could be utilized to improve the resolution performance of a ladar system. Our analysis could be extended to all ladars, regardless of whether they are imaging or scanning laser systems. |
| Databáze: |
Supplemental Index |
| Externí odkaz: |
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