A quantitative phase image generating method for a microscope, includes: irradiating an object with illumination light; disposing a focal point of an objective lens at each of a plurality of positions that are mutually separated by gaps Δz along an optical axis of the objective lens, and detecting light from the object; generating sets of light intensity distribution data corresponding to each of the plurality of positions based upon the detected light; and generating a quantitative phase image based upon the light intensity distribution data; wherein the gap Δz is set based upon setting information of the microscope.

Systems and methods for forming a coherent optical phased array laser source from a spatially combined array of output beams is accomplished without any external measurement devices or wavefront sensors. A master oscillator laser is split into a plurality of optical beam transport and amplifier channels to produce a plurality of optical output beams that are spatially combined in an array format. The spatial phase state of the plurality of output beams is measured at the output of a spatial combiner without use of an external measurement device or sensor. The phase of the plurality of optical output beams is controlled to compensate both for aberrations induced by the optical beam transport and amplifier paths to produce a coherent and spatially phased laser beam at the output of the laser source or to produce a phased laser beam with prescribed phase state on each output beam.

Systems and methods for forming a coherent optical phased array laser source from a spatially combined array of output beams is accomplished without any external measurement devices or wavefront sensors. A master oscillator laser is split into a plurality of optical beam transport and amplifier channels to produce a plurality of optical output beams that are spatially combined in an array format. The spatial phase state of the plurality of output beams is measured at the output of a spatial combiner without use of an external measurement device or sensor. The phase of the plurality of optical output beams is controlled to compensate both for aberrations induced by the optical beam transport and amplifier paths to produce a coherent and spatially phased laser beam at the output of the laser source or to produce a phased laser beam with prescribed phase state on each output beam.

Embodiments are disclosed relating to a refractively-scanning interferometer comprising an aperture that receives an incident light beam at a receiving angle, a beam splitter configured to split the incident light beam into a first beam and a second beam, a first and a second reflector arranged to reflect the first beam and second beam, respectively, towards a combining optical element, and a refractive Optical Path Difference (rOPD) assembly interposed between the beam splitter and the first reflector, wherein the rOPD Assembly refracts the first light beam an even number of times with induced phase discrepancy being a vector sum of a first phase discrepancy induced by a first refraction and a second phase discrepancy induced by a second refraction, the rOPD Assembly being configured such that the first phase discrepancy is substantially opposite in direction to the second phase discrepancy, a portion of the first and second phase discrepancies cancelling one another out to decrease magnitude of the phase discrepancy.

Embodiments are disclosed relating to a refractively-scanning interferometer comprising an aperture that receives an incident light beam at a receiving angle, a beam splitter configured to split the incident light beam into a first beam and a second beam, a first and a second reflector arranged to reflect the first beam and second beam, respectively, towards a combining optical element, and a refractive Optical Path Difference (rOPD) assembly interposed between the beam splitter and the first reflector, wherein the rOPD Assembly refracts the first light beam an even number of times with induced phase discrepancy being a vector sum of a first phase discrepancy induced by a first refraction and a second phase discrepancy induced by a second refraction, the rOPD Assembly being configured such that the first phase discrepancy is substantially opposite in direction to the second phase discrepancy, a portion of the first and second phase discrepancies cancelling one another out to decrease magnitude of the phase discrepancy.

A system including an optical transmitter. In some embodiments, the system includes: a first array of lasers; a first wavelength multiplexer, connected to the first array of lasers; a first coupler, connected to the wavelength multiplexer; and a first wavelength meter, connected to a first output of the first coupler.

A system including an optical transmitter. In some embodiments, the system includes: a first array of lasers; a first wavelength multiplexer, connected to the first array of lasers; a first coupler, connected to the wavelength multiplexer; and a first wavelength meter, connected to a first output of the first coupler.

An optical measurement device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a universal metasurface on which light is incident, a polarization sensor configured to measure a polarization state of light passing through the universal metasurface, and a controller configured to collect a quantitative differential interference contrast (QDIC) image for the x polarization of incident light that is collected by the polarization sensor, a QDIC image for y polarization, and a quantitative relative phase (QRP) image representing a relative phase difference between the x polarization and y polarization and configured to calculate intensity, a phase or polarization information of the incident light.

An optical measurement device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a universal metasurface on which light is incident, a polarization sensor configured to measure a polarization state of light passing through the universal metasurface, and a controller configured to collect a quantitative differential interference contrast (QDIC) image for the x polarization of incident light that is collected by the polarization sensor, a QDIC image for y polarization, and a quantitative relative phase (QRP) image representing a relative phase difference between the x polarization and y polarization and configured to calculate intensity, a phase or polarization information of the incident light.

Various implementations of the invention compensate for “phase wandering” in tunable laser sources. Phase wandering may negatively impact a performance of a lidar system that employ such laser sources, typically by reducing a coherence length/range of the lidar system, an effective bandwidth of the lidar system, a sensitivity of the lidar system, etc. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering near the laser source and before the output of the laser is directed toward a target. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering in the target signal (i.e., the output of the laser that is incident on and reflected back from the target). Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering at the laser source and in the target signal.