LASER IMAGING RADAR SYSTEM

THE INTENSITY, INTENSITY-GRADIENT, RANGE, AND RANGE GRADIENT MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES OF LASER IMAGING RADAR SYSTEMS SHOULD PERMIT THE DETECTION, RECOGNITION, AND IDENTIFICATION OF VIRTUALLY ANY TUPE OF TARGET IF THERE IS AN ADEQUATE SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO. SCHWARTZ ELECTRO-OPTICS PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A COMPACT, HIGH-PERFORMANCE DIODE-LASER-BASED IMAGING RADAR SYSTEM SUITABLE AS A TARGET DISCRIMINATION SENSOR FOR SMART SUBMUNITIONS. THE KEY TECHNICAL OBJECTIVE OF THE EFFORT WILL BE OPTIMIZATION OF THE LASER-DIODE TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE SIGNAL-TO-NOISE. ENHANCING THE SYSTEM SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO BY MEANS OF NARROW OPTICAL BANDWIDTH OPERATION WILL BE EXPLORED. THIS WILL INVOLVE INJECTION LOCKING A PULSED DIODE LASER TO A CW LASER TO REDUCE THE 45 A LASER LINEWIDTH SO THAT IT IS COMPATIBLE WITH A 5 TO 10 A RECEIVER FILTER.