Issued patent
Laser Linear Frequency Modulation System
An issued NASA patent from the Technology Transfer catalog.
About this technology
Overview
NASA's Langley Research Center has made a breakthrough improvement in laser frequency modulation. Frequency modulation technology has been used for surface mapping and measurement in sonar, radar, and time-off-light laser technologies for decades. Although adequate, the accuracy of distance measurements made by these technologies can be improved by using a high-frequency triangular-waveform laser instead of a sine waveform or lower frequency radio or microwaves. This new system generates a triangular modulation waveform with improved linearity that makes possible precision laser radar (light detection and ranging [lidar]) for a variety of applications.