Experiment LIDAR project

The LIDAR system sends a pulsed wave towards a target that diffuses it or sends it back to the LIDAR system. The maximum detection range depends on the energy and divergence of the pulse, but also on the amount of light returning to the detector. The system's resolution depends on the temporal width of the pulse. The experimental measurement of the time of flight of laser pulses backscattered by the target allows determining the distance to the object. The temporal width of the pulse is less than 5 ns, and distances less than 40 cm can still be measured in educational environments. Topics covered: - Pulsed laser diode, duration, energy - Light echo, time of flight - LIDAR principle, Measurement of distances from a few tens of centimeters to several tens of meters - Measurement of the speed of light Principles and objectives: After assembling the telemetry kit, distance measurements can be made. The laser module sends short and intense pulses to a (diffusing) target. A beam splitter directs the emitted wave and the received wave to two fast photodetectors connected to an oscilloscope. Comparing the signals allows measuring the time delay between emission and reception, that is, the time of flight, related to the distance of the target. Another experiment involves using the measurement of time of flight and the knowledge of the distance to the retro-reflector to determine the speed of light.

Composition:
▪ 1 optical rail 0.5 m, with graduated ruler
▪ 1 optical rail 0.2 m, with graduated ruler
▪ 1 pulsed laser diode 1535 nm in mount with 2-axis adjustment and support on rider
▪ 1 laser diode controller
▪ 1 beam splitter with support on rider
▪ 2 focusing optics for photodiode with support on rider
▪ 2 GaAs photodiodes with support on rider
▪ 1 diffusing target on stand
▪ 1 IR visualization card (800-1600 nm)
▪ 1 optics cleaning kit
▪ 1 experiments manual (in English)