Electro-Optic Laser Scanners for Space-Based Lidar

The purpose of this phase II SBIR is to design and build new non-mechanical, electro-optic (EO) laser scanners that will be suitable for space based laser ranging, with a specific focus on the upcoming Lidar Surface Topography (LIST) mission. Even though the applications for EO laser scanning are extensive and pervasive, replacing opto-mechanics has been a historically intractable problem. Vescent Photonics has developed a proprietary electro-optic architecture that enables, for the first time, very wide field-of-regard (270 degrees of scanning demonstrated) and simple EO laser scanners. In our phase I work we demonstrated that these new EO scanners can be designed/adapted to meet the unique performance requirements for satellite based laser sensors. In phase II we will design, build and deliver a full EO scanner system, including a mated optical amplifier that will meet the LIST performance requirements. This phase II program will advance the TRL from 4 to 5-6.