Introduction to Laser Radar

This book is in part an introduction to ladar (or lidar), providing the technical building blocks for understanding the technology, but also provides in-depth coverage of aspects of coherent detection. It covers the mathematical background of traditional direct-detection architecture, including a detailed description of photon-counting detection, which is usually achieved with Geiger-mode APD technology. The book also dives into details of coherent detection architecture, explaining various imaging techniques such as synthetic aperture lidar and vibration sensing lidar. This book can serve as a reference for readers who want to become more acquainted with lidar technology and can also be used as a textbook on the subject.