Introduction to Optical and Infrared Sensor Systems

Level: Introductory Length: 7 hours Format: Online Intended Audience: Scientists, engineers, technicians, or managers who find themselves working on (or curious about) optical (uv-vis) and infrared sensor systems without formal training in this area. Undergraduate training in engineering or science is assumed. Description: This course provides a broad introduction to optical (near UV-visible) and infrared sensor systems, with an emphasis on systems used in defense and security. Topics include both passive imagers and active laser radars (lidar/ladar). We begin with a discussion of radiometry and radiometric calculations to determine how much optical power is captured by a sensor system. We survey atmospheric propagation and phenomenology (absorption, emission, scattering, and turbulence) and explore how these issues affect sensor systems. Finally, we perform signal calculations that consider the source, the atmosphere, and the optical system and detector, to arrive at a signal-to-noise ratio for typical passive and active sensor systems. These principles of optical radiometry, atmospheric propagation, and optical detection are combined in examples of real sensors studied at the block-diagram level. Sensor system examples include passive infrared imagers, polarization imagers, and hyperspectral imaging spectrometers, and active laser radars (lidars or ladars) for sensing distributed or hard targets. The course organization is approximately one third on the radiometric analysis of sensor systems, one third on atmospheric phenomenology and detector parameters, and one third on example calculations and examination of sensor systems at the block-diagram level. Learning Outcomes: This course will enable you to: - explain and use radiometry for describing and calculating the flow of optical energy in an optical or infrared sensor system - explain real-world sensor systems at the block-diagram level - use detector parameters with radiometric calculations to predict the signal received by passive and active sensors - describe atmospheric phenomenology relevant to propagation of optical and infrared radiation - determine the radiometric throughput of sensor systems - describe the basic operating principles of passive imagers and active laser radar (lidar/ladar) systems for distributed and solid target sensing - calculate signal-to-noise ratio for typical sensor systems - explain how the atmosphere affects the performance of sensor systems - explain the difference between and important concepts of passive reflection-based and emission-based imaging Instructor(s): Joseph A. Shaw has been developing optical remote sensing systems and using them in environmental and military sensing for three decades, first at NOAA and currently as professor of electrical engineering and physics at Montana State University. Recognition for his work in this field includes NOAA research awards, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the World Meteorological Organization's Vaisala Prize, and the SPIE Stokes Award. He earned a Ph.D. in Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. Dr. Shaw is a Fellow of both the OSA and SPIE.