Abstract

An analysis is made of the problem of detecting a weak. light beam from a distant source in the presence of a background of much greater intensity, by the photoelectric heterodyne technique. In this method the incident light is superposed on the light beam from a local laser, whose frequency can be adjusted by a feedback arrangement so as to maximize a certain “beat note” in the output of the detector. With the aid of plausible assumptions it is shown that the effectiveness of the method is largely independent of the intensity of the background light, and of the fluctuation properties of the incident light. The key parameter is the number of photoelectrons released by the signal beam in a time comparable with its coherence time.

© 1966 Optical Society of America

Optimum conditions for heterodyne detection of light*

L. Mandel and E. Wolf
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 65(4) 413-420 (1975)

Power Loss in Propagation Through a Turbulent Medium for an Optical-Heterodyne System with Angle Tracking*

David M. Chase
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(1) 33-44 (1966)

Heterodyne detection with a weak local oscillator

Leaf A. Jiang and Jane X. Luu
Appl. Opt. 47(10) 1486-1503 (2008)

Multiple Scattering of Light in a Turbulent Atmosphere

P. M. Livingston
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(12) 1660-1667 (1966)

Stellar Intensity Interferometer. I. Signal-to-Noise Ratio for High-Intensity Radiation*

Hideya Gamo
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 56(4) 441-451 (1966)