Frequency-modulated continuous-wave lidar using I/Q modulator for simplified heterodyne detection.
A frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) lidar is demonstrated with heterodyne detection. The lidar transmitter utilizes an electro-optic I/Q modulator for the first time to generate carrier-suppressed and frequency-shifted FM modulation. This eliminates the need for an acousto-optic frequency shifter commonly used in heterodyne lidar transmitters. It also allows the use of a much wider modulation bandwidth to improve the range resolution. The capability of complex optical field modulation of the I/Q modulator provides an additional degree of freedom compared with an intensity modulator, which will benefit future lidar applications.
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA.
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