Picosecond Timing and Detector Technology

Staff: I. Procházka, K. Hamal, J. Blažej
Tel: +420-2 2191 2242
Fax: +420-2 2191 2252
e-mail: prochazk@troja.fjfi.cvut.cz


The group headed by K. Hamal has been formed in seventies to support the satellite laser ranging activity. Its research and development is directed to the field of picosecond solid state photon counting, laser ranging technology and picosecond timing techniques. The ranging precision has been continually improved from the original value of several metres down to a millimetre level in the year 2000. Recently, the laser ranging system based on solid state technology and picosecond event timing technique is capable to range to ground targets with a precision of 1 millimetre and to Earth orbiting satellites at distances up to 20,000 kilometres with an overall precision of 3-10 millimetres. The solid state detection technology together with laser ranging techniques have been exploited in developing the space-born altimeter for the Mars planet scientific mission NASA Mars Polar Lander `98. The Compact LIDAR for ecology and atmospheric monitoring and the Photon counting based dust meter are another outputs of the space technology applications. The Raman picosecond laser generation and photon counting in the near infrared is investigated for eyesafe laser ranging. In addition, the near infrared picosecond photon counting detectors are under development for fibre optics applications, quantum cryptography and sensors. Multiple wavelengths laser ranging is exploited for atmospheric studies. The picosecond timing techniques are developed and applied in laser ranging and detectors diagnostics.

The group is involved in numerous international projects and experiments in cooperation with universities and research institutes in Austria, China, Germany, Egypt (satellite laser ranging), Russia and the United States (space projects) and Japan (eye safe laser ranging).


Projects supported by grants


List of Selected Publications and Conference Contributions:

  1. Greene, B., Kunimori, H., Hamal, K., Prochazka, I.: Atmospheric dispersion monitoring using 0.53 um and 1.54 um satellite laser ranging, Technical Digest Cleo/Europe '96, Optical Soc.of America, IEEE Catalog Number 96TH8161, p. 221.

  2. Prochazka, I., Hamal, K., Kunimori, H., Greene, B.: Large aperture Germanium detector for picosecond photon counting in the 0.5 to 1.6 um range, Optics Letters, Vol.21 (17), 1 September 1996, pp. 1375-1377

  3. Kirchner, G., Koidl, F., Blazej, J., Hamal, K.,Prochazka, I.: Time Walk Compensated SPAD: Multiple Photon Versus Single Photon Operation, Proceedings of the European Symposium on Aerospace Remote Sensing, published in SPIE 3218-07, 1997

  4. Prochazka, I., Hamal, K., Blazej, J., Kirchner, G., Koidl, F.: Extended Dynamical Range Solid State Photon Counter, 1998 SPIE (3287-41) S9

  5. Procházka, I.: Optical Methods for Atmospheric Monitoring and Environmental Sensing. In: CTU Reports. Prague: CTU. 1999. p. 3-131. - ISBN 80-01-01986-1

  6. Procházka, I. - Hamal, K. - Pershin, S.: SPAD Detector for Laser Ranging on mars Surface. In: Proceedings 11th International Workshop on laser Ranging. Vol. 2. Frankfurt am Main: Verlag des Bundesamtes fur Kartographie und Geodasie. 1999. p. 421-425. - ISBN 3-88648-094-1

  7. Hamal, K. - Procházka, I. - Blažej, J.: Pico event timer based portable calibration standard for satellite laser ranging. [Invited Lecture]. EurOpto. 1999-06-16.

  8. Hamal, K. - Procházka, I. - Blažej, J.: Contribution of the picosecond event timer to the satellite laser station performance improvement. In: SPIE Proceedings, Vol. 3865. Washington: SPIE. 1999. p. 5. - ISBN 0- 8194-3460-4

  9. Hamal, K. - Procházka, I. - Blažej, J. - Eslerová, I. - Sopko, B. - Pasta, A.: Photon counting based dust monitor. In: SPIE Proceedings, Vol. 3707. Washington: SPIE. 1999. p.599-603. - ISBN 0-8194-3181-8

  10. Kunimori H., Green B., Hamal K., Procházka I., Centimetre Precision Eye-Safe Satellite Laser Ranging Using a Raman Shifted Nd:YAG Laser and Germanium Photon Counter, In: IoP, Optics A: Pure and Applied Optics. 2000, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 1-4. ISSN 1464-4258