Abstract

Simultaneous range compression and aperture synthesis is experimentally demonstrated with a stepped linear frequency modulated waveform and holographic aperture ladar. The resultant three-dimensional (3D) data has high resolution in the aperture synthesis dimension and is recorded using a conventional low bandwidth focal plane array. Individual cross-range field segments are coherently combined using data driven registration and phase correction methods allowing range compression to be performed without the benefit of a coherent waveform. Furthermore, we demonstrate a synergistically enhanced ability to discriminate image objects due to the coaction of range compression and aperture synthesis. We show that two objects can be precisely located in 3D space, despite being unresolved in two directions, due to resolution gains in both the range and azimuth cross-range dimensions.

© 2017 Optical Society of America

Holographic aperture ladar

Bradley D. Duncan and Matthew P. Dierking
Appl. Opt. 48(6) 1168-1177 (2009)

Demonstrated resolution enhancement capability of a stripmap holographic aperture ladar system

Samuel M. Venable, Bradley D. Duncan, Matthew P. Dierking, and David J. Rabb
Appl. Opt. 51(22) 5531-5542 (2012)

Experimental demonstration of a stripmap holographic aperture ladar system

Jason W. Stafford, Bradley D. Duncan, and Matthew P. Dierking
Appl. Opt. 49(12) 2262-2270 (2010)

Interferometric synthetic aperture ladar using code division multiple access apertures

Andrew J. Stokes, Matthew P. Dierking, and David J. Rabb
Appl. Opt. 56(17) 5003-5012 (2017)

Three dimensional digital holographic aperture synthesis

Stephen Crouch, Brant M. Kaylor, Zeb W. Barber, and Randy R. Reibel
Opt. Express 23(18) 23811-23816 (2015)