Augmented and multiple lidar-based scintillometers

A LIDAR-based scintillometer comprising:

• a single laser source;
• a diffractive optical element beam splitter;
• one or more turning mirrors;
• a telescope;
• a collimating lens;
• one or more spectral filters;
• a detector;
• and
• a processor;
• wherein said diffractive optical element beam splitter generates/beams from said single laser source;
• wherein each beam is initially separated from a neighboring beam by a distance, dJ, and angle, θJ, from normal to said diffractive optical element beam splitter;
• wherein each of said/beams propagates outwards into atmosphere and a backscattered signal is collected by said telescope;
• wherein said backscattered signals are fed through said collimating lens, said spectral filters and said detector;
• wherein said spectral filters isolate backscattered wavelength bands of interest corresponding to excited atmospheric constituents;
• wherein said backscattered signal is amplified and photon counts are collected to detect variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation;
• wherein said detected variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation are converted into local temperature variations and a measure of optical turbulence.

A LIDAR-based scintillometer comprising:

• a single laser source;
• a transmissive or reflective spiral phase plate;
• one or more turning mirrors;
• a telescope;
• a collimating lens;
• one or more spectral filters;
• a detector;
• and
• a processor;
• wherein said spiral phase plate generates a single vortex beam from said single laser source;
• wherein said beam propagates outwards into atmosphere and a backscattered signal is collected by said telescope;
• wherein said backscattered signals are fed through said collimating lens, said spectral filters and said detector;
• wherein said spectral filters isolate backscattered wavelength bands of interest corresponding to excited atmospheric constituents;
• wherein said backscattered signal is amplified and photon counts are collected to detect quadrant-based variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation;
• wherein said detected variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation are converted into local temperature variations and a measure of optical turbulence.

A LIDAR-based scintillometer comprising:

• two laser sources;
• one or more turning mirrors;
• a telescope;
• a collimating lens;
• one or more spectral filters;
• a detector;
• and
• a processor;
• wherein said laser sources propagate two laser beams spaced by apart by distance, d;
• wherein said beams propagate outwards into atmosphere and a backscattered signal is collected by said telescope;
• wherein said backscattered signals are fed through said collimating lens, said spectral filters and said detector;
• wherein said spectral filters isolate backscattered wavelength bands of interest corresponding to excited atmospheric constituents;
• wherein said backscattered signals are amplified and photon counts are collected to detect variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation;
• wherein said detected variations of intensity of atmospheric electromagnetic radiation are converted into local temperature variations and a measure of optical turbulence.