Digital holographic polarimeter using dual reference beam interferometry.

An off-axis digital holographic imaging polarimeter was developed to estimate the Jones matrices of an object. The Jones vector image of the electric field returned from the object is determined from a single holographic recording using the interference between the dual, nearly orthogonal, reference beams. The technique compensates for phase variations in the optical beam paths between the recorded holograms and relaxes the need to generate orthogonal illumination polarization states.

Demonstration of stimulated photon echo isolation using interferometric cancellation.

An alternative to phase-matched angled beam spatial-spectral holographic grating geometries for separating stimulated photon echoes (SPEs) from the probing pulse is proposed and demonstrated. By use of a Mach-Zehnder geometry with inhomogeneously broadened medium in both paths, the SPE can be interferometrically isolated from the generating probe pulse. This interferometric-based technique is well suited to waveguide geometries, which have benefits for future quantum and classical optical signal processing applications such as quantum memories, correlation, and efficient cryogenic microwave-to-optical conversion.

Phase-stable, downconverting, microwave photonic link with analysis of balanced heterodyne detection intermodulation.

A coherent downconverting microwave photonic link using balanced heterodyne detection of single-sideband modulated optical signals is analyzed and demonstrated. The intermodulation analysis shows that the second-order photodetector nonlinearity can be the limiting factor in the third-order intermodulation spur performance. The link is designed to phase coherently downconvert 17 GHz of bandwidth in an extended K-band (23-45 GHz) to 1-18 GHz to match the capabilities of modern receivers.

Spatial-spectral holographic real-time correlative optical processor with >100 Gb/s throughput.

The demonstration of an all-optical, ultra-high-speed, time-domain signal correlator based on spatial-spectral holographic (SSH) technology is described. The fully programmable signal correlator demonstration operates asynchronously and continuously on signals with up to 32 GHz of bandwidth and correlative filter length exceeding a time-bandwidth product of 10, for the equivalent of teraflop-scale processing. Experimental demonstrations are presented that show both digital and analog correlation capability using phase-shift keyed modulation formats to search plain text ASCII data sources for arbitrary phrases at continuous line rate throughputs up to 200 Gbps with minimal latency.

High power and high SFDR frequency conversion using sum frequency generation in KTP waveguides.

We characterize the intermodulation distortion of high power and efficient frequency conversion of modulated optical signals based on sum frequency generation (SFG) in a periodically poled potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) waveguide. Unwanted frequency two-tone spurs are generated near the converted signal via a three-step cascaded three-wave mixing process. Computer simulations describing the process are presented along with the experimental measurements.

Three dimensional digital holographic aperture synthesis.

Aperture synthesis techniques are applied to temporally and spatially diverse digital holograms recorded with a fast focal-plane array. Because the technique fully resolves the downrange dimension using wide-bandwidth FMCW linear-chirp waveforms, extremely high resolution three dimensional (3D) images can be obtained even at very long standoff ranges. This allows excellent 3D image formation even when targets have significant structure or discontinuities, which are typically poorly rendered with multi-baseline synthetic aperture ladar or multi-wavelength holographic aperture ladar approaches.

Precision and accuracy testing of FMCW ladar-based length metrology.

The calibration and traceability of high-resolution frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) ladar sources is a requirement for their use in length and volume metrology. We report the calibration of FMCW ladar length measurement systems by use of spectroscopy of molecular frequency references HCN (C-band) or CO (L-band) to calibrate the chirp rate of the FMCW sources. Propagating the stated uncertainties from the molecular calibrations provided by NIST and measurement errors provide an estimated uncertainty of a few ppm for the FMCW system.

Multi-dimensional, non-contact metrology using trilateration and high resolution FMCW ladar.

Here we propose, describe, and provide experimental proof-of-concept demonstrations of a multidimensional, non-contact-length metrology system design based on high resolution (millimeter to sub-100 micron) frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) ladar and trilateration based on length measurements from multiple, optical fiber-connected transmitters. With an accurate FMCW ladar source, the trilateration-based design provides 3D resolution inherently independent of standoff range and allows self-calibration to provide flexible setup of a field system. A proof-of-concept experimental demonstration was performed using a highly stabilized, 2 THz bandwidth chirped laser source, two emitters, and one scanning emitter/receiver providing 1D surface profiles (2D metrology) of diffuse targets.

Synthetic aperture ladar imaging demonstrations and information at very low return levels.

We present synthetic aperture ladar (SAL) imaging demonstrations where the return-signal level from the target is near the single-photon level per resolved pixel. Scenes consisting of both specular-point targets and diffuse-reflection, fully speckled targets are studied. Artificial retro-reflector-based phase references and/or phase-gradient-autofocus (PGA) algorithms were utilized for compensation of phase errors during the aperture motion.

Shot noise statistics and information theory of sensitivity limits in frequency-modulated continuous-wave ladar.

A theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the sensitivity limits of frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) ladar in the limit of a strong local oscillator is presented. The single-photon sensitivity of coherent heterodyne detection in this shot-noise dominated limit is verified to extend to linearly chirped waveforms. An information theoretic analysis is presented to estimate the information efficiency of received photons for the task of locating the range to single and multiple targets.

Maximum-likelihood estimation for frequency-modulated continuous-wave laser ranging using photon-counting detectors.

We analyze the minimum achievable mean-square error in frequency-modulated continuous-wave range estimation of a single stationary target when photon-counting detectors are employed. Starting from the probability density function for the photon-arrival times in photodetectors with subunity quantum efficiency, dark counts, and dead time, we derive the Cramér-Rao bound and highlight three important asymptotic regimes. We then derive the maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator for arbitrary frequency modulation.

Laboratory demonstrations of interferometric and spotlight synthetic aperture ladar techniques.

A variety of synthetic-aperture ladar (SAL) imaging techniques are investigated on a table-top laboratory setup using an ultra-broad bandwidth (>3 THz) actively linearized chirp laser centered at 1.55 microns. Stripmap and spotlight mode demonstrations of SAL in monstatic and bistatic geometries are presented.

Compressive laser ranging.

Compressive sampling has been previously proposed as a technique for sampling radar returns and determining sparse range profiles with a reduced number of measurements compared to conventional techniques. By employing modulation on both transmission and reception, compressive sensing in ranging is extended to the direct measurement of range profiles without intermediate measurement of the return waveform. This compressive ranging approach enables the use of pseudorandom binary transmit waveforms and return modulation, along with low-bandwidth optical detectors to yield high-resolution ranging information.

Characterization of an actively linearized ultrabroadband chirped laser with a fiber-laser optical frequency comb.

The optical frequency sweep of an actively linearized, ultrabroadband, chirped laser source is characterized through optical heterodyne detection against a fiber-laser frequency comb. Frequency sweeps were measured over approximately 5 THz bandwidths from 1530 nm to 1570 nm. The dominant deviation from linearity resulted from the nonzero dispersion of the fiber delay used as a reference for the sweep linearization.

Conditions for highly efficient anti-Stokes conversion in gas-filled hollow core waveguides.

Using a four-mode theoretical analysis we show that highly efficient anti-Stokes conversion in waveguides is more challenging to realize in practice than previously thought. By including the dynamics of conversion to 2(nd) Stokes via stimulated Raman scattering and four-wave mixing, models predict only narrow, unstable regions of highly efficient anti-Stokes conversion. Experimental results of single-pass Raman conversion in confined capillary waveguides validate these predictions.

Accuracy of active chirp linearization for broadband frequency modulated continuous wave ladar.

As the bandwidth and linearity of frequency modulated continuous wave chirp ladar increase, the resulting range resolution, precisions, and accuracy are improved correspondingly. An analysis of a very broadband (several THz) and linear (<1 ppm) chirped ladar system based on active chirp linearization is presented. Residual chirp nonlinearity and material dispersion are analyzed as to their effect on the dynamic range, precision, and accuracy of the system.

Ultrabroadband optical chirp linearization for precision metrology applications.

We demonstrate precise linearization of ultrabroadband laser frequency chirps via a fiber-based self-heterodyne technique to enable extremely high-resolution, frequency-modulated cw laser-radar (LADAR) and a wide range of other metrology applications. Our frequency chirps cover bandwidths up to nearly 5 THz with frequency errors as low as 170 kHz, relative to linearity. We show that this performance enables 31-mum transform-limited LADAR range resolution (FWHM) and 86 nm range precisions over a 1.