Estimation of Lens Stray Light with Regard to the Incapacitation of Imaging Sensors—Part 2: Validation

Abstract

Recently, we developed a simple theoretical model for the estimation of the irradiance distribution at the focal plane of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) camera lenses in case of laser illumination. The purpose of such a model is to predict the incapacitation of imaging sensors when irradiated by laser light. The model is based on closed-form equations that comprise mainly standard parameters of the laser dazzle scenario and those of the main devices involved (laser source, camera lens and imaging sensor). However, the model also includes three non-standard parameters, which describe the scattering of light within the camera lens. In previous work, we have performed measurements to derive these typically unknown scatter parameters for a collection of camera lenses of the Double-Gauss type. In this publication, we compare calculations based on our theoretical model and the measured scatter parameters with the outcome of stray light simulations performed with the optical design software FRED in order to validate the reliability of our theoretical model and of the derived scatter parameters.

Keywords

• stray light
• imaging sensor
• scatter parameters
• Harvey scatter model
• laser safety
• FRED