Three-dimensional laser radar with APD arrays

M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory is actively developing laser and detector technologies that make it possible to build a three-dimensional laser radar (3-D ladar) with several attractive features, including capture of an entire 3-D image on a single laser pulse, tens of thousands of pixels, few-centimeter range resolution, and small size, weight, and power requirements. The laser technology is based on diode-pumped solid-state microchip lasers that are passively Q-switched. The detector technology is based on Lincoln-built arrays of avalanche photodiodes (APD s) operating in the Geiger mode, with integrated timing circuitry for each pixel. The advantage of these technologies is that they offer the potential for small, compact, rugged, high-performance, systems which are critical for many applications.