Polarization Lidar: Principles and Applications

• Published in: Photonics Vol. 10; no. 10; p. 1118
• Main Authors: Liu, Xudong, Zhang, Liping, Zhai, Xiaoyu, Li, Liye, Zhou, Qingji, Chen, Xue, Li, Xiaobo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2023
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Atmospheric aerosols; Clouds; Data analysis; Dielectric properties; Ellipticity; Information management; Information sources; Lasers; Lidar; Light; Light intensity; Liu, Timothy; Luminous intensity; Optical properties; Optical radar; Optics; P-lidar; Physical properties; Plankton; Polarization; Principles; Radar systems; Radiation; Radiation, Background; Remote sensing; Seawater; South China Sea; Germany
• ISSN: 2304-6732; 2304-6732
• DOI: 10.3390/photonics10101118

Traditional lidar techniques mainly rely on the backscattering/echo light intensity and spectrum as information sources. In contrast, polarization lidar (P-lidar) expands the dimensions of detection by utilizing the physical property of polarization. By incorporating parameters such as polarization degree, polarization angle, and ellipticity, P-lidar enhances the richness of physical information obtained from target objects, providing advantages for subsequent information analysis. Over the past five decades, the application fields of P-lidar have rapidly expanded, starting from its early use in atmospheric remote sensing to later applications in oceanic remote sensing. This review first provides a brief introduction to the basic principles of both polarization and P-lidar, along with typical systems. It then explores the applications of P-lidar in various remote sensing fields, including atmospheric, oceanic, and terrestrial domains. Additionally, we propose potential research directions based on current cutting-edge applications, with the aims of providing critical insights to researchers in the fields of polarization and lidar and inspiring further exciting ideas.