Baumann, E.
, Giorgetta, F.
, Coddington, I.
, Sinclair, L.
, Knabe, K.
, Swann, W.
and Newbury, N.
(2013),
A comb-calibrated FMCW LADAR for absolute distance measurements, Optics Letters, [online], https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.38.002026
(Accessed December 30, 2024)
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A comb-calibrated FMCW LADAR for absolute distance measurements
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Abstract
We present a comb calibrated frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) LADAR system for absolute distance measurements to diffuse or specular surfaces. The FMCW LADAR uses a MEMS-based external cavity laser that is swept quasi-sinusoidally over 1 THz at a 1 kHz rate. The system simultaneously records the heterodyne FMCW LADAR signal and the instantaneous laser chirp of up to 3500 THz/sec, as measured against a free-running frequency comb (femtosecond fiber laser). Demodulation of the LADAR signal against the instantaneous laser chirp yields the range to the target with sub-millisecond update rates, bandwidth-limited 130-m resolution, precision as low as ~6 nm, and accuracy of ~ 100 ppb. The basic approach is compatible with operation at even faster update rates and with future chip-based coherent FMCW LADAR systems.Citation
Optics Letters
Volume
38
Issue
12
Pub Type
Journals
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Keywords
ranging, frequency modulated CW ladar, comb
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Created June 15, 2013, Updated November 10, 2018