Simultaneous ranging and velocimetry of fast moving targets using oppositely chirped pulses from a mode-locked laser

A lidar system based on the coherent detection of oppositely chirped pulses generated using a 20 MHz mode locked laser and chirped fiber Bragg gratings is presented. Sub millimeter resolution ranging is performed with > 25 dB signal to noise ratio. Simultaneous, range and Doppler velocity measurements are experimentally demonstrated using a target moving at > 330 km/h inside the laboratory. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America