Abstract

The relative merits of heterodyne detection and direct detection for the remote sensing of species in the atmosphere have been experimentally investigated using an IR differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system, which measured the backscattered CO₂ laser radiation from topographic targets at ranges up to 3 km. These experiments were conducted using a tunable dual-wavelength dual-laser pulsed CO₂ DIAL system which permitted simultaneous heterodyne and direct detection of the same lidar returns.

© 1983 Optical Society of America