LASER POLARIZATION PROFILING

THE DEISGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING OF A BREADBOARD LASER POLARIZATION PROFILOMETER (LPP) WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. THE DESIGN USES A SPECIAL POLARIZATION-PRESERVING BEAMSPLITTER THAT DELIVERS THE REFLECTED LASER LIGHT TO THE DETECTORS. A POLARIZED, PULSED LASER SOURCE IS INCORPORATED WITHIN THE POLARIMETER PACKAGE. THE ILLUMINATED TARGET AND THE LASER SPOT ARE IMAGED BY A VIDEO CAMERA USING AN ACHROMATIC LENS DESIGN. THE PULSED, POLARIZED, DIODE LASER SOURCE IS EQUIPPED WITH A REMOTE CONTROL TO PERMIT SPOT SIZE ADJUSTMENT ON THE TARGET. THE LIGHT REACHING THE POLARIMETER IS DIVIDED INTO THREE BEAMS, TWO OF WHICH ARE ORTHOQONALLY POLARIZED, AND ONE OF WHICH INDICATES THE OVERALL INCIDENT INTENSITY. THE LIGHT INTENSITIES ARE DETECTED BY PIN SILICON PHOTODIODES. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVESWILL INCLUDE SUCH DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AS LASER-POWER REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE MEASUREMENT AND POLARIZATION SENSITIVITY AT A 300-M DISTANCE; THE OPTICAL DESIGN OF THE ACHROMATIC SYSTEM; LASER SPOT DETECTION AND TARGET VIEWING; AND COMPACT AND RUGGED PACKAGING OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM. AT THE END OF PHASE I, ALL OF THE OPTICAL AND ELECTRONIC INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS WILL HAVE BEENDEFINED, AND A BREADBOARD PACKAGE WILL HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND TESTED SIMULATING REAL CONDITIONS. THE DEISGN, FABRICATION, AND TESTING OF A BREADBOARD LASER POLARIZATION PROFILOMETER (LPP) WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED. THE DESIGN USES A SPECIAL POLARIZATION-PRESERVING BEAMSPLITTER THAT DELIVERS THE REFLECTED LASER LIGHT TO THE DETECTORS. A POLARIZED, PULSED LASER SOURCE IS INCORPORATED WITHIN THE POLARIMETER PACKAGE. THE ILLUMINATED TARGET AND THE LASER SPOT ARE IMAGED BY A VIDEO CAMERA USING AN ACHROMATIC LENS DESIGN. THE PULSED, POLARIZED, DIODE LASER SOURCE IS EQUIPPED WITH A REMOTE CONTROL TO PERMIT SPOT SIZE ADJUSTMENT ON THE TARGET. THE LIGHT REACHING THE POLARIMETER IS DIVIDED INTO THREE BEAMS, TWO OF WHICH ARE ORTHOQONALLY POLARIZED, AND ONE OF WHICH INDICATES THE OVERALL INCIDENT INTENSITY. THE LIGHT INTENSITIES ARE DETECTED BY PIN SILICON PHOTODIODES. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVESWILL INCLUDE SUCH DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS AS LASER-POWER REQUIREMENTS FOR HIGH SIGNAL-TO-NOISE MEASUREMENT AND POLARIZATION SENSITIVITY AT A 300-M DISTANCE; THE OPTICAL DESIGN OF THE ACHROMATIC SYSTEM; LASER SPOT DETECTION AND TARGET VIEWING; AND COMPACT AND RUGGED PACKAGING OF THE MECHANICAL SYSTEM. AT THE END OF PHASE I, ALL OF THE OPTICAL AND ELECTRONIC INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS WILL HAVE BEENDEFINED, AND A BREADBOARD PACKAGE WILL HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND TESTED SIMULATING REAL CONDITIONS.