Comb-calibrated laser ranging for three-dimensional surface profiling with micrometer-level precision at a distance

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 22; no. 21; pp. 24914 - 24928
• Main Authors: Baumann, E, Giorgetta, F R, Deschênes, J-D, Swann, W C, Coddington, I, Newbury, N R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 20-10-2014
• Subjects: Cactaceae - anatomy & histology; Calibration; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Lasers; Signal-To-Noise Ratio; Surface Properties; Time Factors; Uncertainty
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.22.024914

Non-contact surface mapping at a distance is interesting in diverse applications including industrial metrology, manufacturing, forensics, and artifact documentation and preservation. Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) laser detection and ranging (LADAR) is a promising approach since it offers shot-noise limited precision/accuracy, high resolution and high sensitivity. We demonstrate a scanning imaging system based on a frequency-comb calibrated FMCW LADAR and real-time digital signal processing. This system can obtain three-dimensional images of a diffusely scattering surface at stand-off distances up to 10.5 m with sub-micrometer accuracy and with a precision below 10 µm, limited by fundamental speckle noise. Because of its shot-noise limited sensitivity, this comb-calibrated FMCW LADAR has a large dynamic range, which enables precise mapping of scenes with vastly differing reflectivities such as metal, dirt or vegetation. The current system is implemented with fiber-optic components, but the basic system architecture is compatible with future optically integrated, on-chip systems.