The primary objective of this proposed project is to develop an ultrafast speed, polarization independent optical aperture gating device, which can be conveniently integrated into a high sensitivity photodetector so that the daytime performance of the LIDAR can be dramatically improved. To realize this goal, we will develop an innovative tunable photonic nanostructure, which can offer following unprecedented performances: (1) polarization independent operation, (2) less than 10 ns switching speed, (3) less than
Benefit: The successful completion of this proposed research effort represents a major technology breakthrough in the LIDAR system. It can completely overcome a fundamental limitation of the conventional electrical LIDAR gating method (i.e., mixing gate pulses with data signals and causing signal distortions). Thus, this proposed project can have a great impact on both the military pixel and imaging LIDAR and the commercial sector such as air and underwater remote sensing and airborne mapping.
Keywords: LIDAR, LIDAR, ultrafast, Optical aperture gating, nanostructures, polarization-independent, tunable photonic structure.
