Comparative Performance of Optical-Radar Detection Techniques

The statistical performances of energy- and heterodyne-detection techniques in pulsed optical radar applications are compared. The results show that, under conditions frequently encountered in practice, energy-detection can provide the better target-detection capability, in spite of the far greater complexity of the heterodyne receiver. The velocity-measurement capability of an energy-detection system can also be superior from the point of view of the error probabilities achieved. The advantages of the more complex and critical heterodyne technique lie in its vastly superior velocity-resolution capability and in its superior performance in very noisy environments.