Bispectral analysis of the wavelength dependence of speckle: remote sensing of object shape

Abstract

A bispectrum-based technique is presented for analyzing the wavelength dependence of the laser speckle intensity from diffuse three-dimensional objects. This new technique yields extremely high-resolution measurements of the scattering object’s range-resolved laser radar cross section. These measurements are useful in remote sensing of an object’s size, shape, and surface-scattering properties. The technique is illustrated on laboratory measurements obtained with a tunable Ti:sapphire ring laser.