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LiDAR and active remote sensing entail the integration of a laser source, optical-beam formatting/directing/collecting apparatuses, photodetectors, and data-processing infrastructures to perform standoff analysis tasks aimed at distant targets. Such tasks include reconnaissance, imaging, and range finding as well as terrain mapping/topography, autonomous navigation, fingerprinting of airborne bio-chemical species, wind-speed measurements, and climate studies.   

LiDAR and active remote sensing require the integration of a laser source, optical-beam formatting/directing/collecting apparatuses, photodetectors, and data-processing infrastructures to perform standoff analysis tasks aimed at distant targets. Such tasks include reconnaissance, imaging, and range finding as well as terrain mapping/topography, autonomous navigation, fingerprinting of airborne bio-chemical species, wind-speed measurements, and climate studies.   

This short course offers an introduction to state-of-the-art LiDAR and active remote sensing technologies. While covering physical foundations, the course adopts a practical and system-oriented approach. Its main goal is to provide students with proper knowledge tools to understand how LiDAR and remote sensing devices are designed, developed, and deployed in real applications spanning the scientific, military, and industrial realms. Another goal is to familiarize students with the numerous cutting-edge technologies employed in such applications: from pulsed diode and fiber lasers to optical phase arrays, single-photon detectors, image-extraction algorithms etc.

Topics that will be covered include long-range remote sensors deployed in air- and space-based platforms such as deep-space probes, satellites or aircrafts. Such systems must address challenges including the maximization of laser transmitter pulse energy; minimization of size, weight, and power consumption; rugged operation in thermo-mechanically harsh environments; and long-term reliability.

LiDAR-based navigation technologies for driverless cars or drones will also be addressed by illustrating how innovative components and optical/electronic/computational solutions are tailored and integrated in these applications to meet the tight size and cost constraints of consumer markets. 

This course should enable participants to:

• Summarize key remote sensing approaches: Direct vs. coherent LiDAR, standoff spectroscopy (e.g. differential absorption), Doppler LiDAR, etc.
• Compare laser technologies (diode, fiber, and bulk solid-state lasers) used as optical transmitters based on wavelength, power, mode of operation, cost, etc.
• List detecting apparatuses (photodiodes, cameras, phototubes etc.) and discuss how they operate (Linear intensity detection, Geiger-mode/single-photon detection, flash LiDAR etc.)
• Compute basic link budgets and use results to inform the selection of sensor components and designs.

The course is mainly aimed at physicists and engineers with a graduate-level background in optics and photonics, pursuing research and development work in active remote sensing. The course is also useful for experienced scientists and engineers in science labs and/or aerospace and automotive industry, who are generally interested in state-of-the-art remote sensing applications and technologies.

Dr. Fabio Di Teodoro is a Senior Engineering Fellow at Raytheon Technologies, based in El Segundo, CA, USA. He has worked on laser based LiDAR and remote sensors for nearly two decades.  His area of expertise includes fiber-laser transmitters and airborne LiDAR sensors. He has authored 26 patents and many invited talks and technical publications, is a member of the Technical Committees for the CLEO and Photonics West conferences, and has recently served as the Topical Editor on fiber lasers/amplifiers and remote sensing for Optics Letters.