Abstract

Although the concept of coherent laser radar has existed for more than two decades, the discipline is presently moving forward at a rapid pace. The recent OSA Topical Meeting on Coherent Laser Radar: Technology and Applications, which took place July 8-12, 1991, in Snowmass, Colorado, spotlighted advances over a broad range of issues. Among the more than 100 papers presented at the meeting, new developments involving solid state coherent lidars, improvements in CO₂ coherent lidar sources, spacebased Doppler lidar design, and new applications of coherent lidar stood out as areas where particularly rapid advancement has occurred. Improved coherent lidar technology, signal processing techniques, effects of turbulence on lidar perforrhance, and backscatter measurements also received considerable attention at the meeting. In this abstract, significant new activities in coherent lidar are briefly described; more detail will be given during the oral presentation.

© 1991 Optical Society of America