Interference immunity of optical radar system with phased antenna array

A phased antenna array of an optical radar system with single-mode or phase-locked sources is analyzed for interference immunity. A major factor influencing the performance as well as the method of analysis is the relative magnitudes of coherence length and path difference, the latter characterizing the interference pattern of light beams and its effect on the antenna radiation pattern. Although a path difference much smaller than the coherence length permits assumption of a quasimonochromatic radiation, interference must be accounted for when the path difference is comparable with the coherence length. The directive gain and the probability of detection error are calculated, assuming Poisson distributions of signal photons with either vertical or horizontal polarization and of noise photons at the receiver input. Estimates indicate that reducing the error probability to below 0.00001 is feasible by phasing the antenna of an optical radar system operating under normal conditions.