Evidence for speckle effects on pulsed CO2 lidar signal returns from remote targets

Optical Energy Variability Induced by Speckle: The Cases of MERLIN and CHARM-F IPDA Lidar

In the context of the FrenchGerman space lidar mission MERLIN (MEthane Remote LIdar missioN) dedicated to the determination of the atmospheric methane content, an end-to-end mission simulator is being developed. In order to check whether the instrument design meets the performance requirements, simulations have to count all the sources of noise on the measurements like the optical energy variability induced by speckle. Speckle is due to interference as the lidar beam is quasi monochromatic. Speckle contribution to the error budget has to be estimated but also simulated. In this paper, the speckle theory is revisited and applied to MERLIN lidar and also to the DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und Raumfahrt) demonstrator lidar CHARM-F. Results show: on the signal path, speckle noise depends mainly on the size of the illuminated area on ground; on the solar flux, speckle is fully negligible both because of the pixel size and the optical filter spectral width; on the energy monitoring path a decorrelation mechanism is needed to reduce speckle noise on averaged data. Speckle noises for MERLIN and CHARM-F can be simulated by Gaussian noises with only one random draw by shot separately for energy monitoring and signal paths.

Adjustment of measurements with multiplicative errors: error analysis, estimates of the variance of unit weight, and effect on volume estimation from LiDAR-type digital elevation models

Modern observation technology has verified that measurement errors can be proportional to the true values of measurements such as GPS, VLBI baselines and LiDAR. Observational models of this type are called multiplicative error models. This paper is to extend the work of Xu and Shimada published in 2000 on multiplicative error models to analytical error analysis of quantities of practical interest and estimates of the variance of unit weight. We analytically derive the variance-covariance matrices of the three least squares (LS) adjustments, the adjusted measurements and the corrections of measurements in multiplicative error models. For quality evaluation, we construct five estimators for the variance of unit weight in association of the three LS adjustment methods. Although LiDAR measurements are contaminated with multiplicative random errors, LiDAR-based digital elevation models (DEM) have been constructed as if they were of additive random errors. We will simulate a model landslide, which is assumed to be surveyed with LiDAR, and investigate the effect of LiDAR-type multiplicative error measurements on DEM construction and its effect on the estimate of landslide mass volume from the constructed DEM.

Comparison of IPDA lidar receiver sensitivity for coherent detection and for direct detection using sine-wave and pulsed modulation

We use theoretical models to compare the receiver signal to noise ratio (SNR) vs. average rate of detected signal photons for an integrated path differential absorption (IPDA) lidar using coherent detection with continuous wave (CW) lasers and direct detection with sine-wave and pulse modulations. The results show the coherent IPDA lidar has high receiver gain and narrow bandwidth to overcome the effects of detector circuit noise and background light, but the actual receiver performance can be limited by the coherent mixing efficiency, speckle and other factors. For direct detection, using sine-wave modulation allows the use of a low peak power laser transmitter and synchronous detection. The pulse modulation technique requires higher laser peak powers but is more efficient than sine-wave modulation in terms of average detected signal photon rate required to achieve a given receiver SNR. We also conducted experiments for the direct detection cases and the results agreed well with theory.

Single-pulse measurement of wind velocities using an Er:Yb:glass coherent laser radar

Many wind-field mapping applications require range-resolved atmospheric velocity measurements at long range and/or with a temporal resolution sufficient to investigate turbulence. We argue that this capability can be achieved only by coherent laser radar systems that transmit energetic (>1 mJ) pulses. We describe such a system and describe single-pulse measurement of the range-resolved line-of-sight velocities, and show that the instrument-limited reproducibility of the measurements is 0.4 ms(-1).

Wave optics simulation of atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle effects in CO2 lidar

Laser speckle can influence lidar measurements from a diffuse hard target. Atmospheric optical turbulence will also affect the lidar return signal. We present a numerical simulation that models the propagation of a lidar beam and accounts for both reflective speckle and atmospheric turbulence effects. Our simulation is based on implementing a Huygens-Fresnel approximation to laser propagation. A series of phase screens, with the appropriate atmospheric statistical characteristics, are used to simulate the effect of atmospheric turbulence. A single random phase screen is used to simulate scattering of the entire beam from a rough surface. We compare the output of our numerical model with separate CO(2) lidar measurements of atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle. We also compare the output of our model with separate analytical predictions for atmospheric turbulence and reflective speckle. Good agreement was found between the model and the experimental data. Good agreement was also found with analytical predictions. Finally, we present results of a simulation of the combined effects on a finite-aperture lidar system that are qualitatively consistent with previous experimental observations of increasing rms noise with increasing turbulence level.

Measurement of integrated speckle statistics for CO2 lidar returns from a moving, nonuniform, hard target

A pulsed, dual CO(2) laser lidar was used to measure return signal statistics as a function of the number of speckles integrated by the lidar receiver per laser pulse. A rotating target generated statistically independent speckle patterns on each laser pulse. Data were collected for a wide range of receiver aperture sizes. A statistical model is developed that predicts the probability density of the return lidar pulse energy, which includes speckle, depolarization by the target, and albedo sampling. The predictions of this model are compared with the measured probability density function of the return pulse energies. Very good agreement is found between the geometrically calculated number of integrated speckles and the number predicted by the model.

Higher moments of scattered light fields by heterodyne analysis

In heterodyne detection (such as in coherent lidar) the optical local oscillator defines a single mode of the incoming-signal light field; this single-mode selectivity has been previously predicted to preserve the full fluctuation character of scattered light. This is in contrast with direct-detection schemes, as in photon-correlation spectroscopy, where aperture averaging usually reduces the range of fluctuations. Examples of Gaussian and non-Gaussian statistics in laser light scattered from a moving ground-glass screen have been studied. This simple laboratory experiment has several advantages over equivalent direct-detection schemes and has been shown to yield experimentally the theoretically predicted factorial intensity moments (up to the seventh order) that result from zero-mean, circulo-complex Gaussian statistics.

Characterization of pulsed coherent Doppler LIDAR with the speckle effect

The relationships among heterodyne efficiency γ, number of speckle cells M, and the ratio of receiver area to coherence area S(R)/S(C) for a pulsed coherent laser radar (CLR) are written through the use of mutual coherence functions. It is shown that numerical values for S(R)/S(C) that follow Goodman's definition [J. W. Goodman, in Laser Speckles and Related Phenomena, J. C. Dainty, ed. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1975), pp. 9-75] or that are obtained through the use of a transverse-field coherence length agree. In the frame of the Gaussian model proposed by Frehlich and Kavaya [Appl. Opt. 30, 5325 (1991)] a new equation is derived: M = (1 + S(R)/S(C)). This equation agrees with our experimental results. Our theoretical analysis shows that the number of speckle cells for an optimal monostatic CLR system is M ~ 4. An experiment has been conducted with a ground-based pulsed CO(2) LIDAR and remote hard targets to study the probability density function of LIDAR returns as a function of M and to study the dependence of M on S(R)/S(C). An assessment of CLR performance through the use of M or the collecting aperture S(R) is discussed.

Optimal heterodyne detector array size for 1-microm coherent lidar propagation through atmospheric turbulence

The heterodyne detection efficiency for a 1-microm coherent atmospheric backscatter lidar was numerically calculated using a Monte Carlo technique which included a simple model for the effects of atmospheric turbulence. The results show that the heterodyne detection efficiency of a single-element detector is severely reduced by the effects of atmospheric turbulence, but that the use of an appropriate sized, multiple-element heterodyne detector array can overcome these effects. In addition, the statistical fluctuation (signal-to-noise ratio) of the lidar signal was also calculated and showed that the use of a heterodyne detector array can increase the accuracy to that for direct detection.

Aerosol speckle effects on atmospheric pulsed lidar backscattered signals

The effects of refractive turbulence along the path on the aerosol speckle field propagation and on the decorrelation time are studied for coherent pulsed lidar systems.

Differential absorption lidar signal averaging

This paper presents experimental results using an atmospheric backscatter dual CO(2) laser differential absorption lidar (DIAL). It is shown that DIAL signals can be averaged to obtain an N(-(1/2)) dependence decrease in the standard deviation of the ratio of backscattered returns from two lasers, where N is the number of DIAL signals averaged, and that such a lidar system can make measurements of gas concentrations with a precision of 0.7% in absorptance over 75 m in a short measurement time when the signal strength is high-Factors that eventually limit the rate of improvement in the SNR, such as changes in the ratio of the absorption and/or backscatter at the two laser frequencies and background noise are discussed. In addition, it is noted that DIAL measurements made using hard-target backscatter often show departures from N((1/2)) dependence improvement in the standard deviation, because they are further limited by the combined effects of atmospheric turbulence and speckle, since the relative reproducibility of the speckle pattern on the receiver gives rise to correlations of the lidar signals.

Fluctuations in backscattered signals due to turbulence in near-IR and visible lidar measurements

Spectral cross-correlation measurements performed in the near IR and in the visible, lambda(1) = 1.06 microm and lambda(2) = 0.53 microm, show that the main contribution to the fluctuations for the above lidar wavelengths originate in atmospheric turbulence. The measurements were performed in nonsaturation conditions verified by an increase in the backscattered signal fluctuations with an increase in the target range. Normalized measurements as a function of daytime hours representing varying atmospheric turbulence conditions are presented and discussed.

Practical considerations for the design of CO(2) lidar systems

A 10.6-microm single laser lidar system has been utilized to monitor the amplitude, standard deviation, and correlation of returns from foliage, hillside, and man-made targets as a function of the lidar system divergence and mode shape, the receiver field of view and receiver/transmitter alignment tolerance, the repetition rate, and the sampling time. Studies of the dependence of the system sensitivity on signal averaging and signal correlation demonstrate performance comparable with that achieved with reported dual laser lidar systems.

Measured signal amplitude distributions for a coherent FM-cw CO2 laser radar

Measurements of signal amplitude distributions with a FM-cw CO2 laser radar have been made against various targets in both imaging and staring modes. Data show good agreement with theoretical distributions. From the measurements conclusions are drawn about the atmospheric- as well as target-induced effects. Beam wandering effects are shown to be of importance in the staring mode.

He-Ne and cw CO2 laser long-path systems for gas detection

This paper describes the design and testing of a laboratory prototype dual He-Ne laser system for the detection of methane leaks from underground pipelines and solid-waste landfill sites using differential absorption of radiation backscattered from topographic targets. A laboratory-prototype dual cw carbon dioxide laser system also using topographic backscatter is discussed, and measurement results for methanol are given. With both systems, it was observed that the time-varying differential absorption signal was useful in indicating the presence of a gas coming from a nearby source. Limitations to measurement sensitivity, especially the role of speckle and atmospheric turbulence, are described. The speckle results for hard targets are contrasted with those from atmospheric aerosols. The Appendix gives appropriate laser lines and values of absorption coefficients for the hydrazine fuel gases.