This work focused on two primary error sources limiting Satellite Laser Ranging accuracy. The detection delay instability spoils ranging data concerning long-term stability. This results in the impossibility of distinguishing if the error has an origin during calibration or ranging; both errors limit the SLR product quality. Another error source arises from threshold detection, where no information about signal amplitude is available for individual laser signal returns. In this contribution, we will introduce a new ranging strategy, where we time-tag photons of interest against so-called clock photons. They are accurately synchronized to a stable atomic clock and generate equidistantly well-defined time intervals as an optical ruler. The clock photons propagate through the same detection chain as ranging photons and effectively remove and calibrate all variable electrical delays during the detection process. In this detection scenario, the biggest drawback may be the increase in noise since the detector noise is added twice. However, the clock photons can be averaged effectively; therefore, the additive clock detection jitter is suppressed. Since the detector response is sampled using 20 GSPS, it allows us to reconstruct a detector response envelope and consequently remove any amplitude to timing modulation from ranging data. Here we will outline the measurement concept and discuss laboratory tests and range measurements obtained from satellite echoes.
Ranging to the moon in the optical domain sets high demands on the tracking station. Apart from precise pointing and tracking with error tolerances of less than 1 second of arc, it also requires the capability for single photon event timing in the presence of significant background light levels. As a consequence of this technological challenge, there are only very few laser ranging stations like the McDonald Laser Ranging Station (MLRS) and the MeO station near Grasse in France that have successfully tracked the moon over the last almost 50 years. The Geodetic Observatory Wettzell is a fundamental station for Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) and therefore combines all the major measurement techniques of space geodesy collocated in one place. While the Wettzell Laser Ranging System (WLRS) has obtained a few observations of the Apollo 15 target in the past, the data volume was too sparse to make a significant contribution. Recent progress in the development of highly sensitive IR photon counting detectors has provided a new generation of diodes that offer high quantum efficiency at the fundamental wavelength of Nd:YAG at 1.064 μm and very short signal rise times at the same time. Furthermore they exhibit a very low intrinsic detector noise level. Together with a 75 mJ pulse energy and a laser pulse width as small as 10 ps, the WLRS has now repeatedly observed the Lunakhod 1 and the Apollo 15 target with a good signal to noise ratio, so that the remaining measurement error is limited to the effective reflector depth of the respective lunar targets in the presence of the libration of the moon. This talk outlines the station characteristics and discusses the detector performance for this high demanding application.
Satellite Laser Ranging Systems typically operate on the second harmonic wavelength of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 532 nm. The absence of sufficiently sensitive photo-detectors with a reasonably large active area made it beneficial to trade the conversion loss of frequency doubling against the higher quantum efficiency of the detectors. Solid state silicon detectors in the near infra-red regime at λ = 1.064 µm also suffered from high thermal noise and slow signal rise times, which increased the scatter of the measurements by more than a factor of 3 over the operation at λ = 532 nm. With the availability of InGaAs/InP compound - Single Photon Avalanche Diodes the situation has changed considerably. Their quantum efficiency has reached 70% and the compound material of these diodes provides a response bandwidth, which is commensurate with high high speed detectors in the regime of 532 nm. We have investigated the properties of such a diode type Princeton Lightwave PGA-200-1064 for its suitability for SLR at the Nd:YAG fundamental wavelength with respect to the quantum efficiency and their timing properties. The results are presented in this paper. Furthermore, we provide remarks to on the performance of the diode compared to state of the art detectors, that operate at the Nd:YAG second harmonic wavelength. Finally, we give an estimate of the photoelectron statistics in satellite laser ranging for different operational parameters of the Wettzell Laser Ranging System.
Single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), operated in Geiger mode, provide highest detection efficiency for time of flight measurements in the single photon regime. However, the risetime of the output signal shows time delays with changing number of generated photoelectrons. Therefore the measured time of arrival shows some drift with changing input light levels. Based on the continuity equations and the intrinsic resistance of SPADs, a simple model of the avalanche breakthrough was developed to analyze this behavior. By applying a suitable external gating circuit, e. g. implementing a decoupling resistor between the diode and the gating capacitor, this simulation shows a slight dependency of the diodes peak output current on the number of generated photoelectrons. Experimental observations performed with a passive quenching circuit and an InGaAs/InP-SPAD showed good agreement with the simulation. In time of flight measurements, e. g. in satellite laser ranging, this behavior can be used for compensating intensity dependent delays during the detection process.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.