Incoherent Light Sources-Based Low Probability of Detection and Covert Radars over Atmospheric Turbulence Channels

In this paper we are concerned with the low probability of detection (LPD) and covert radars employing optical incoherent sources. Key idea of our proposed LPD/covert radar concept is to hide the radar signal in solar radiation by employing the broadband (>30 nm) Erbium-doped fiber amplifier source, modulating such source output beam with a constant amplitude modulation format at high-speed, and detect the presence of the target by the cross-correlation method. To demonstrate the proposed concept we developed an outdoor free-space optical (FSO) testbed at the University of Arizona campus. To improve the tolerance to atmospheric turbulence effects the adaptive optics is used. We demonstrate that the LPD/covert radar concept over strong turbulent FSO channel is feasible in a desert environment.