We describe LIDAR with a bh SPC-QC-104 TCSPC module and a bh BDS‑SM 640‑nm picosecond diode laser. The beam of the laser was directed to a distant target, photons scattered back from the target were collected by a Meade LX90 20-cm telescope, detected by a bh PMC-150-20 PMT module, and recorded by the TCSPC device. Using a laser pulse repetition rate of 250 kHz and no more than 10 µW of average power we obtained a clean backscattering signal from a tree 160 meters away. By increasing the pulse repetition rate to 50 MHz, we were able to detect fluorescence decay curves from the chlorophyll in the leaves. Please see application note for details.
