Influence of Gaussian beam properties on laser Doppler signals.

The unique properties of Gaussian beams must be considered when designing and using laser Doppler anemometer systems. This paper presents an analysis of Gaussian beam effects in LDA systems in order to quantify their influence on the Doppler signal. The analytical results, which are verified by experiment, show that both axial and lateral frequency gradients can exist in the probe volume of improperly aligned LDA systems. The effects of lens aberrations and of optical path changes due to the insertion of planar optical elements in the beam are also considered.