Laser discrimination of unresolved space and airborne targets based on the effects of surface correlations on the backscattered state of polarization

Changes in the state of polarization of scattered laser radiation can be utilized to discriminate among targets according to surface microstructures on the wavelength scale. Newly-developed rigorous electromagnetic coherence theory is applied to the inverse problem of laser discrimination of unresolved space and airborne targets based on the effects of surface correlations on the backscattered state of polarization. Algorithms are developed to deal with speckle noise and the narrow spatial bandwidth characteristic of active ground-to-space and ground-to-air scenarios. Laboratory measurements are utilized to verify the theory and test the algorithms.