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Abstract

A CW and/or pulse coherent radiation detection system (10) includes at least one radiation detector (14) having a plurality of discrete radiation detector elements (A-D) disposed upon a surface thereof. A coherence length discriminator (CLD), for example an etalon (12), is constructed so as to vary an optical path length therethrough at a plurality of locations. The CLD is disposed relative to the radiation detector such that radiation passing through the CLD is received by the discrete radiation detector elements. The apparatus further includes a drive (16) for translating the CLD relative to the radiation detector so as to modulate only coherent radiation passing through the CLD. The drive is preferably a reactionless drive having an energy consumption made small by the use of small CLD motions that correspond to the dimensions of individual detector elements. The coherent radiation detector is also shown to be usable for detecting an angle of arrival of coherent radiation.

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