Range Precision of LADAR Systems

The dissertation focuses on the range precision limits of Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) systems, emphasizing the impact of shot noise caused by randomness in photon arrivals. It explores various noise sources, including dark current and detector gain variation, and examines how scene-dependent factors like background light and target orientation affect measurements. Additionally, it presents and evaluates noise mitigation strategies, such as pulse averaging and gain equalization, using both simulated and real LADAR data to enhance precision.