Autonomous beam alignment for coherent Doppler lidar with multielement detectors

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Remote Sensing Technologies
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Coherent Doppler lidar systems require precise optical alignment for optimal performance.
• Optical misalignment and aberrations can degrade system accuracy and data quality.
• Autonomous beam alignment is essential for reliable lidar operation in dynamic environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a multielement heterodyne detector for autonomous beam alignment in coherent Doppler lidar.
• To assess the detector's ability to provide information on optical misalignment and aberrations.
• To evaluate the impact of speckle field variations on system performance during ground-based and space-based operations.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a multielement heterodyne detector to capture optical misalignment and aberration data.
• Conducting computer simulations to analyze the effects of statistical variations in the backscattered field (speckle).
• Simulating both ground-based scenarios with fixed calibration targets and space-based scenarios with random target backscatter.

Main Results:

• The multielement heterodyne detector successfully provides necessary information for beam alignment.
• System performance is maintained without loss, despite the inclusion of the alignment detection mechanism.
• Computer simulations quantified the impact of speckle field variations on system accuracy under different operational conditions.

Conclusions:

• A multielement heterodyne detector is a viable solution for autonomous beam alignment in coherent Doppler lidar.
• This approach enables accurate measurement of optical parameters without compromising overall system efficiency.
• The findings support the deployment of advanced lidar systems in diverse operational settings, including space-based applications.