Measurements of laser phase fluctuations induced by atmospheric turbulence over 2 km and 17.5 km distances.

A laser heterodyne system was used to measure the phase fluctuations imposed on a 1.5 μm wavelength laser beam when double-passed over long atmospheric paths. Two distances were used: 2 and 17.

Statistical properties of finite-bandwidth radiation scattered by random amplitude screens and random phase screens.

We investigate the effect of finite bandwidth of the incident radiation on scattering by thin layers that introduce random phase or amplitude variations. In particular, we calculate the scintillation index of the propagating radiation for smoothly varying and fractal phase screens and for random telegraph wave and checkerboard amplitude screens. Increasing the bandwidth of the incident radiation reduces the fluctuations of the scattered intensity over the whole propagation path, except in the case of the smoothly varying phase screen, where geometrical optics features in the pattern persist in the focusing region.

Fiber-based 1.5 microm lidar vibrometer in pulsed and continuous modes.

A fiber-based 1.5 mum heterodyne lidar that is easily switched between pulse-pair and cw modes is described. In laboratory experiments using well-controlled vibrating targets, and in computer simulations, the performance of the two modes is compared given the same average laser power.

Chirp-pulse-compression three-dimensional lidar imager with fiber optics.

A coherent three-dimensional (angle-angle-range) lidar imager using a master-oscillator-power-amplifier concept and operating at a wavelength of 1.5 microm with chirp-pulse compression is described. A fiber-optic delay line in the local oscillator path enables a single continuous-wave semiconductor laser source with a modulated drive waveform to generate both the constant-frequency local oscillator and the frequency chirp.

Dual-channel heterodyne measurements of atmospheric phase fluctuations.

A dual-channel fiber-coupled laser heterodyne system operating at a 1.55-microm wavelength is used to investigate phase fluctuations induced on a laser beam by propagation through turbulent air. Two receivers are used to characterize spatial and temporal variations produced by a turbulent layer of air in the laboratory.

Lidar frequency modulation vibrometry in the presence of speckle.

We report laboratory target vibration measurements that use an easily aligned and adjusted fiber-based 1.5-microm heterodyne lidar. The targets are simple spherically curved retroreflectors with well-controlled vibration frequencies and amplitudes.

Heterodyne measurements of laser light scattering by a turbulent phase screen.

We report experiments in which a fiber-coupled heterodyne laser system operating at a wavelength of 1.5 microm is used to measure the phase fluctuations induced on a laser beam by passage through a thin layer of turbulent air and subsequent propagation through free space. We investigate the statistical properties and power spectra of the phase and its rate of change, in addition to the intensity statistics.