Short-range verification experiment of a trial one-dimensional synthetic aperture infrared laser radar operated in the 10-µm band

A trial one-dimensional (1-D) synthetic aperture infrared laser radar (SAILR) system for imaging static objects, with two CO(2) lasers as a transmitter and a local oscillator for heterodyne detection, was constructed. It has a single receiving aperture mounted on a linearly movable stage with a length of 1 m and a position accuracy of 1 microm. In an indoor short-range experiment to confirm the fundamental functions of the system and demonstrate its unique imaging process we succeeded in obtaining 1-D synthetic aperture images of close specular point targets with theoretically expected resolution.