Absolute distance meter without dead zone based on free-running dual femtosecond lasers

Abstract

Absolute distance measurements based on femtosecond lasers have been extensively studied for precision metrology and advanced manufacturing, with the advantages of traceability, high speed, and nanometer precision. However, in previous studies, the dual femtosecond laser ranging system showed limitations such as system complexity, lower integration, dead zone problems in single optical path detection, and high requirements for laser coherence. It is challenging to achieve a high degree of integration and large-scale continuous measurements using femtosecond lasers, ineluctably limiting practical applications in engineering fields. Here, based on the free-running dual femtosecond lasers and the nonlinear asynchronous optical sampling method, we design a highly integrated absolute distance meter. In particular, the dead zone problem is solved by the polarization multiplexing technique, and the digital control system and signal processing system are completed by the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The absolute distance meter enables rapid, continuous, and accurate measurements over a considerable range without dead zones, which paves a promising way for the integration, instrumentation, and industrial applications of femtosecond laser ranging systems.