Advances in ladar components and subsystems at Raytheon

Michael Jack; George Chapman; John Edwards; William Mc Keag; Tricia Veeder; Justin Wehner; Tom Roberts; Tom Robinson; James Neisz; Cliff Andressen; Robert Rinker; Donald N. B. Hall; Shane M. Jacobson; Farzin Amzajerdian; T. Dean Cook

doi:10.1117/12.923683

31 May 2012 Advances in ladar components and subsystems at Raytheon

Michael Jack, George Chapman, John Edwards, William Mc Keag, Tricia Veeder, Justin Wehner, Tom Roberts, Tom Robinson, James Neisz, Cliff Andressen, Robert Rinker, Donald N. B. Hall, Shane M. Jacobson, Farzin Amzajerdian, T. Dean Cook

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8353, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXVIII; 83532F (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.923683
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2012, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Abstract

Raytheon is developing NIR sensor chip assemblies (SCAs) for scanning and staring 3D LADAR systems. High sensitivity is obtained by integrating high performance detectors with gain, i.e., APDs with very low noise Readout Integrated Circuits (ROICs). Unique aspects of these designs include: independent acquisition (non-gated) of pulse returns, multiple pulse returns with both time and intensity reported to enable full 3D reconstruction of the image. Recent breakthrough in device design has resulted in HgCdTe APDs operating at 300K with essentially no excess noise to gains in excess of 100, low NEP <1nW and GHz bandwidths and have demonstrated linear mode photon counting. SCAs utilizing these high performance APDs have been integrated and demonstrated excellent spatial and range resolution enabling detailed 3D imagery both at short range and long ranges. In the following we will review progress in real-time 3D LADAR imaging receiver products in three areas: (1) scanning 256 × 4 configuration for the Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker (MMSS) program and (2) staring 256 × 256 configuration for the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) lunar landing mission and (3) Photon-Counting SCAs which have demonstrated a dramatic reduction in dark count rate due to improved design, operation and processing.

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Michael Jack, George Chapman, John Edwards, William Mc Keag, Tricia Veeder, Justin Wehner, Tom Roberts, Tom Robinson, James Neisz, Cliff Andressen, Robert Rinker, Donald N. B. Hall, Shane M. Jacobson, Farzin Amzajerdian, and T. Dean Cook "Advances in ladar components and subsystems at Raytheon", Proc. SPIE 8353, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXVIII, 83532F (31 May 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.923683

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