Efficient system and method for measuring target characteristics via a beam of electromagnetic energy

Abstract

An efficient system (10) for measuring target characteristics via a torsion mode beam of electromagnetic energy. The system (10) includes a first mechanism (34, 38, 40, 42, 16) for transmitting the torsion mode beam toward a target (12). A second mechanism (16, 18, 20) receives the resulting target return beam and provides a first signal in response thereto. A third mechanism (26, 28) employs the first signal to determine rotational characteristics of the target (12). In a specific embodiment, the system (10) further includes a fourth mechanism (20, 26) that reduces or eliminates noise in the return beam based on common mode noise rejection. A fifth mechanism (32) identifies the type of the target based on the target rotational characteristics via comparison to predetermined target rotational signatures (36). An additional mechanism (24, 40, 42) selectively switches the mode of the beam between a first mode and a second mode. The first mechanism (34, 38, 40, 42, 16) and second mechanisms (16, 18, 20) employ a laser transceiver (16) having a transmit chain (34, 38, 40, 42, 16) and a receive chain (16, 18, 20). The transmit chain includes a time-division multiplexer (34) or a spatial multiplexer (34, 62) for selectively transmitting the beam of electromagnetic energy or for selectively transmitting first and second spatially separated beams characterized by the first and second modes, respectively. The receive chain (16, 18, 20) includes a corresponding time-division demultiplexer (20, 26) or spatial demultiplexer (16, 64, 66, 26), respectively, for providing the first signal. In a more specific embodiment, the first mode is a left-handed Laguerre-Gaussian torsion mode, and the second mode is a right-handed Laguerre-Gaussian torsion mode. The third mechanism (26, 28) determines rotational Doppler due to reflection of the beam of electromagnetic energy from the target.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.