Radiometric analysis and simulation of signal power function in a short-range laser radar

A key issue in designing laser radar devices for short-range applications is the ability to estimate accurately the power seen by the receiver as a function of the measurement distance. To obtain a reasonable approximation of this power, the irradiance distribution over the sensor as well as the target surface, which is highly dependent on the type of the detector used, must be analyzed in detail. The calculation of signal power function by means of radiometry is discussed. A software package developed for simulating power transfer as a function of various optical parameters is presented. It can be applied to various types of laser sources, including high-power laser diodes (wide-stripe or stacked) and pigtailed laser diodes.