Le laser est omniprésent dans la recherche et les applications. Les efforts de miniaturisation, qui affectent le développement de sa cohérence, se sont multipliés depuis sa découverte, mais seulement avec les plus petits Lasers à Emission Verticale (VCSELs) on détecte l'influence du volume de cavité sur les propriétés d'émission. Ainsi on se pose des questions sur l'apparition et le développement de la cohérence, sur la valeur (unique ?) du seuil laser, sur l'existence d'un tel seuil dans un nanolaser et sur la réponse à la modulation du pompage. Dans cette thèse, nous explorons le fonctionnement du laser autour du « seuil » pour obtenir des réponses expérimentales à quelques-unes des questions posées dans des lasers à la meso-échelle. Les fonctions de corrélation, la dynamique temporelle, la reconstruction de l'espace des phases, des indicateurs statistiques et des mesures spatialement résolues d'intensité et de longueur d'onde d'émission sont les indicateurs utilisés dans cette étude. La dynamique est étudiée modulant sinusoïdalement des petits VCSEL, où nous obtenons : des impulsions dans la région du seuil, amplification anormale de l'émission spontanée (en polarisation croisée), oscillations régulières et (surtout) irrégulières par la forte influence de l'émission spontanée dans ces petits dispositifs. Enfin, une caractérisation bidimensionnelle des propriétés du rayonnement, transversalement à l'émission, montre la corrélation entre la croissance de la cohérence et celle du mode laser. Pour les dispositifs plus grands, cette analyse jette les bases pour l'étude du développement de la cohérence dans les lasers spatialement étendus. / Coherent light sources are nowadays ubiquitous in scientific research and engineering applications and have been miniaturized since their inception. Physically, the onset and development of laser coherence is largely affected by the cavity size reduction, but this becomes apparent only for the smallest Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs). Thus the following questions arise: When does coherence set in? How does it develop? How do we define threshold? Is there a unique threshold value and does it exist at all for a nanolaser? What is the dynamical response to modulation in this uncharted territory? In this thesis we explore the regime of laser operation around what is conventionally called the threshold point and obtain experimental answers to some of the questions from mesoscale lasers. Correlation functions, temporal dynamics, phase space reconstruction, statistical indicators and spatially-resolved intensity and emission wavelength measurements are the indicators for the answers we seek. The dynamical response is investigated by applying a sinusoidal modulation to very small VCSELs, where we obtain the amplification of pulses in the threshold region, anomalous amplification of the spontaneous emission (in a cross-polarized channel), regular and (mostly) irregular pulsations due to the strong influence of spontaneous emission in these small devices. Finally, a two-dimensional characterization of the radiation properties transversely to the emission shows the correlation between coherence buildup and the establishment of a laser mode. For larger devices, this analysis lays the foundation for investigating the buildup of coherence in spatially extended lasers.

Radar systems vary significantly in size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) characteristics with many high SWaP-C models being inaccessible to consumers. Recognizing this, we have engineered an effective but low SWaP-C networked radar system tailored for detecting and tracking unmanned air vehicle (UAV) traffic. Using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and custom-designed printed circuit boards (PCBs), our system achieves remarkable efficiency without compromising performance. We use patch antennas for our transmitter and in our 4x4 receiver array. With our low SWaP-C system we have successfully concluded outdoor range testing, detecting corner reflector targets at a remarkable 10dB above our noise floor up to a distance of 100m. We have also finished testing and implementation of our angle of arrival (AOA) algorithm, using conjugate field matched (CFM) beamforming, with outdoor testing using both corner reflectors and drones. Combining our range and AOA algorithms we have detected and tracked both a corner reflector and a drone through time and created a 3D plot showing our target's path and location relative to our system. With this we have demonstrated the viability and effectiveness of our low SWaP-C radar for UAV traffic surveillance.

This thesis deals in the theoretical part with the non-contact vibration measurement by single point Laser Doppler vibrometer and it concretes constructions used in practice. It deals also with the possibilities of the laser beam scanning to measure the vibrations in the plane and there are also listed suitable-commercial systems for this solution. Mentioned sweep is immediately necessary for 2D scanning vibrometer construction. In the practical part, the single-point laser vibrometer OFV-5000 was expanded by scanning galvo system, supplemented by a measuring cards for signal acquisition from the vibrometer and suitable control hardware was chosen for mentioned laser. For the resulting hardware assembly was designed and implemented in LabVIEW measurement software, to control the 2D scanning system, to set the position of the laser beam and to process and to visualize of measured vibration signals in the plane. The functionality of the developed measuring system was checked by performed measurement and visualization of the velocity vibration of restraint girder, excited by shaker.