Common Module Imaging Laser Radar Receiver

The common module receiver described in this proposal will provide the laser radar community with several key building blocks for future generations of high performance, low cost, direct detection, imaging laser radar systems. The Phase I research will build on experience gained with earlier multichannel imaging laser radars developed for submunition guidance, and with current work on compact, 2-D APD array imaging laser radar receivers. This research centers around the development of a multichannel range/intensity measurement module (MRIMM), a custom multichip module which measure the time-of-flight and peak intensity of the reflected laser pulses. The MRIMM will measure the pulse arrival time with an accuracy of 500 picoseconds (corresponding to three inches downrange resolution), and will simultaneously measure the intensity of the arriving pulses over a wide dynamic range. The proposed modular optical receiver front end can use a variety of detectors (PIN, APD, silicon, InGaAs), and the bandwidth can be tailored for laser pulse widths from one nanosecond to twenty nanoseconds. The entire multichannel common module receiver is five mm thick and about the size of a credit card. The receiver is coupled to the receiver optics focal plane using an industry-standard multichannel fiber optic connector. The common module's output connector can be connected directly to the parallel port of a standard PC. The Phase I research includes breadboarding and test of the critical elements of the new range/intensity module and will result in a detailed design for a prototype common module receiver to be developed in Phase II.