Optimal bandwidth for topographical differential absorption lidar detection.
A detected laser signal backscattered from a tilted target is modeled with a laser-pulse shape as a response of a high-pass filter to an exponential input that describes the gain buildup within the laser cavity before a laser pulse is emitted and a single-pole low-pass RC filter for the electronic amplifier. The model is used to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected peak signal with a proper choice of the integration time constant τ as a function of the laser-pulse shape and the tilt angle of the backscattering target.