Streak-camera-based long-distance range finder with 10^−7 resolution

Abstract

A novel optical distance meter with a pulsed yttrium aluminum garnet laser and a pair of streak cameras is developed. To minimize timing errors, the time scale is marked by an optical-registration-clock pulse. This assures an intrinsic resolution of 3 mm. For field applications, comparison of multiwavelength and single-wavelength methods confirms that the latter method is much better if carefully corrected. By use of the equipotential temperature criterion for correction of the atmospheric parameters, such as the atmospheric boundary layer effect and the temperature along the ray trajectory, a resolution of better than 1 cm is achieved over a range of 30 km. This result corresponds to a relative resolution of 3 × 10(-7). Typical ranging results in a geophysical application are shown for monitoring of the relative translational shift of the Asian (Eurasian) and the Philippine plates; the predicted shift is found to be absent.