Sub-meter wind detection with pulsed coherent Doppler lidar

High-resolution wind detection plays a crucial role in aviation safety and aerodynamic research. A pulsed coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL) with sub-meter/sub-second resolution is demonstrated. The pseudorandom modulation (PRM) method is used to break the link between laser pulse duration and spatial resolution. Benefiting from the flexible pulse duration, the detection accuracy degradation related to the short pulse is largely mitigated. The backscattered spectra and wind profiles measured by the proposed lidar are compared with those obtained by a conventional pulsed CDWL, validating its capacity of radial wind detection within 700 m at 0.9 m/0.5 s resolution. With the help of the proposed high-resolution lidar, the meter-scale perturbation on the wind field from an electric fan is detected in a field experiment.