Influence of Depolarization of Linear Polarized Radiation on the Heterodyne Detection in Laser Range Finders

摘要

The theory of heterodyne detection with depolarized radiation is developed. Experiments on depolarization and direct detection at 10.6 microns and heterodyne detection are described. The effect of depolarization on the heterodyne current is discussed. Results show that depolarization can be considerable for very rough surfaces. Agreement between theory and experiments is relatively good but measured values are larger.