Space-bandwidth product enhancement of a monostatic, multiaperture infrared image upconversion ladar receiver incorporating periodically poled LiNbO_3

We investigate the space-bandwidth product of a ladar system incorporating an upconversion receiver. After illuminating a target with an eye-safe beam, we direct the return into a piece of periodically poled LiNbO3 where it is upconverted into the visible spectrum and detected with a CCD camera. The theoretical and experimental transfer functions are then found. We show that the angular acceptance of the upconversion process severely limits the receiver field of regard for macroscopic coupling optics. This limitation is overcome with a pair of microlens arrays, and a 43% increase in the system's measured space-bandwidth product is demonstrated.