Sensitive micro UAV detection based on a high-repetition-rate single-photon LiDAR.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Remote Sensing Technologies
• Counter-UAV Systems

Background:

• Effective defense against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) necessitates high-sensitivity detection capabilities.
• Current detection methods struggle with small, fast-moving targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate an enhanced single-photon lidar (SPL) system for high-frame-rate detection of micro UAVs.
• To evaluate the performance of different single-photon detectors under high-repetition-rate imaging conditions.

Main Methods:

• A novel SPL system multiplexing wavelength and repetition rate with parallel line scanning was developed.
• Eight point one million laser pulses per second were uniformly distributed for enhanced target illumination.
• Performance comparison of three mainstream single-photon detectors was conducted.

Main Results:

• The superconducting nanowire single-photon detector enabled 15-fps detection of a micro UAV.
• Successful detection was achieved at a range of up to 340 meters.
• The system demonstrated efficient and uniform laser pulse distribution.

Conclusions:

• The proposed SPL system offers a promising approach for high-frame-rate detection and tracking of small, moving targets.
• This technology has significant potential applications in security, surveillance, and mapping.
• The system's performance validates the use of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for advanced lidar applications.