A laser metrology system comprising: a laser modulator for modulating a laser output by a degree of modulation based on a measured area to be scanned on a surface of a target structure , wherein the degree of modulation is based on a look-up table including the measured area and a corresponding power density of the laser output at a given set of coordinates on the surface of the target structure at a given laser output; means for transmitting a modulated measurement beam comprising the modulated laser output; a beam splitter for splitting said measurement beam into a local oscillator beam and a transmitted beam ; an optical assembly for projecting said transmitted beam to the measured area on the surface of the target structure and for receiving a reflected beam from said measured area , said reflected beam being a return of said transmitted beam ; a beam combiner for combining said reflected beam and said local oscillator beam into a detection beam ; a detector for processing said detection beam , said detector comprising a micro-lens for projecting said detection beam , a photodetector for carrying out coherent detection of said detection beam and detector electronics in communication with the photodetector for generating informational data from said detection beam ; and a range processor for computing dimensional data about said measured area from said informational data, wherein said detector comprises a plurality of micro-lenses forming a micro-lens array and a plurality of photodetectors forming a photodetector array , wherein each micro-lens of said micro-lens array projects a portion of said detection beam representing at least one measured point of said measured area to an associated photodetector of said photodetector array , wherein said associated photodetector carries out coherent detection of said portion of said detection beam , and wherein said range processor calculates a range value for said measured point . a laser modulator for modulating a laser output by a degree of modulation based on a measured area to be scanned on a surface of a target structure , wherein the degree of modulation is based on a look-up table including the measured area and a corresponding power density of the laser output at a given set of coordinates on the surface of the target structure at a given laser output; means for transmitting a modulated measurement beam comprising the modulated laser output; a beam splitter for splitting said measurement beam into a local oscillator beam and a transmitted beam ; an optical assembly for projecting said transmitted beam to the measured area on the surface of the target structure and for receiving a reflected beam from said measured area , said reflected beam being a return of said transmitted beam ; a beam combiner for combining said reflected beam and said local oscillator beam into a detection beam ; a detector for processing said detection beam , said detector comprising a micro-lens for projecting said detection beam , a photodetector for carrying out coherent detection of said detection beam and detector electronics in communication with the photodetector for generating informational data from said detection beam ; and a range processor for computing dimensional data about said measured area from said informational data, wherein said detector comprises a plurality of micro-lenses forming a micro-lens array and a plurality of photodetectors forming a photodetector array , wherein each micro-lens of said micro-lens array projects a portion of said detection beam representing at least one measured point of said measured area to an associated photodetector of said photodetector array , wherein said associated photodetector carries out coherent detection of said portion of said detection beam , and wherein said range processor calculates a range value for said measured point . <EOS>