title: Highly folded 5 m Fourier transform spectrometer for spaceborne wind lidar.
abstract: We have designed and built a prototype Fourier transform spectrometer intended for a wind lidar system. The significant characteristics of this design include (1) an optical layout that folds a maximum optical path difference of 5.8 m to fit into a 1.2 m cavity, (2) two confocal parabolas to compensate for beam diffraction over the entire path length, and (3) a photon-counting detector for high sensitivity. The optical path difference is measured with a reference beam produced by the heterodyne technique. The reference beam is collinear with the data beam, and accounts for all mechanical vibrations along the optical path.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willard