Energy and statistical characteristics of optical radiation reflected from an infinite retroreflector array

摘要

The energy and statistical characteristics of laser radiation reflected from an infinite surface in the form of an array of single retroreflectors have been investigated. The study of the reflecting properties of such a surface involved the calculation of the coherence function of the radiation in the reflection plane. Rigorous and high-accuracy approximate expressions have been obtained for this characteristic. The intensity in the far zone and the coherence function of the reflected radiation at an arbitrary distance from the surface have been calculated. Approximate equations have been derived for these characteristics of the radiation. The results of numerical simulation by the Monte Carlo technique have been compared with the rigorous and approximate calculations. It has been shown that in the most significant cases the approximate equations proposed give a deviation within 5% from the rigorous ones and from the results of averaging over numerical realizations. The approximate equations obtained have been used to solve the problem of radiation propagation along sensing paths, including the forward propagation through the turbulent atmosphere, reflection, and backward propagation.