Beam steering LADAR sensor

1. A ladar system mountable to a vehicle, said system comprising:

a laser transmitter comprising at least one semiconductor laser with a pulsed laser light output configured to transmit light through a transmitting optic adapted to illuminate a reflecting surface in a field of view;

a laser drive circuit connected to said at least one semiconductor laser and adapted to electrically drive said at least one semiconductor laser in a predetermined sequence;

a time zero reference circuit having a time zero reference electrical output adapted to signal the beginning of a pulsed laser light transmission;

receiving optics adapted to collect and condition the pulsed laser light reflected from the reflecting surface;

an optical gain block with an input face positioned to receive the collected and conditioned pulsed laser light, optically amplify the pulsed laser light, and transmit the optically amplified pulsed laser light to an output face;

a two-dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned to intercept light from said output face of said optical gain block, each of said light sensitive detectors positioned to intercept a pixellated portion of the pulsed laser light reflected from the reflecting surface, and each light sensitive detector having an output producing an electrical response signal;

a detector bias circuit connected to a voltage distribution grid of said array of light sensitive detectors; and

a readout integrated circuit with a clock circuit and a plurality of unit cell electrical circuits;

each of said unit cell electrical circuits having an input connected to said clock circuit and to said time zero reference electrical output, and having an amplifier with an input connected to one of said light sensitive detector outputs, and each amplifier having an output, and a pulse detection circuit connected to said amplifier output, and said pulse detection circuit having a termination output, and a counter connected to the time zero reference electrical output and to said clock circuit, said counter started counting by the time zero reference electrical output, and said counter connected to, and stopped counting by the termination output, and said counter having an output proportional to the distance to the reflecting surface.

2. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said optical gain block is selected from the set of an erbium-doped fiber amplifier and a semiconductor optical amplifier.

3. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said laser transmitter is an array of semiconductor lasers.

4. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said ladar sensor is integrated into an assembly selected from the set of a headlight, a turn signal, taillight, parking light, and brake light.

5. The ladar system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined sequence is a line-by-line illumination of the field of view.

6. The ladar system of claim 1 wherein said predetermined sequence is a pixel-by-pixel illumination of the field of view.

7. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said two-dimensional array of light sensitive detectors is formed in a material selected from the set of silicon, indium gallium arsenide, indium gallium arsenide phosphide, aluminum gallium arsenide, and indium gallium nitride.

8. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said two-dimensional array of light sensitive detectors is adapted to provide multiplication of at least one photoelectron.

9. The ladar sensor of claim 1 wherein said two-dimensional array of light sensitive detectors is selected from the set of an avalanche photodiode array and an image tube focal plane array.