Superresolution multispectral imaging polarimetric space surveillance LADAR sensor design architectures

This study consists of the exploitation of novel ladar design principles and architectures aimed at the increasing of the superresolution, and imaging capabilities of the space surveillance ladars for efficient detection, discrimination, and monitoring of space objects and man-made materials detection. Ladar interferometric techniques relying on Vertical- Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) coherent arrays would provide enhanced lightweight imaging solutions, with unsurpassable dynamic range, at low power consumption, remarkable reliability, and reduced cost. The experimental results of this study indicate that the signal-to-noise ratio of backscattered optical signals can be enhanced significantly, by utilizing efficient single-pixel polarimetric techniques; as a result the ladar range accuracy would be improved significantly. In addition, several space materials and man-made materials are shown to exhibit distinct depolarization signatures which can be used to characterize, classify, and identify those materials.