A system and method of optical spectrum analysis that circumvents the trade-off between resolution and sensitivity by combining two spectral measurements: a first spectrum (102) from first spectral measurement means (240), having high resolution and low sensitivity; and a second spectrum (103) from second spectral measurement means (220), having lower resolution but higher resolution. The input of the of the first spectral measurement means (240) is amplified by an optical amplifier (230), being the effects induced by said amplifier (230) on the first spectrum (102) corrected at processing means (270) by comparison with the second spectrum (103).

A remote sensing system for time-of-flight measurements may comprise an array of laser diodes with Bragg reflectors operating in the near-infrared wavelength range synchronized to a detection system comprising lenses, spectral filters and a photodiode array coupled to a processor. The time-of-flight depth information may be combined with various camera imaging systems. The camera system may comprise a lens system, prism and a sensor. In another embodiment, the data from two cameras may be combined with the time-of-flight depth information. Yet another embodiment comprises an imaging system with another array of laser diodes followed by a beam splitter and a detection system. The remote sensing system may be coupled to a smart phone, tablet or wearable device, and the combined data may provide three-dimensional information about at least some part of an object. Also, artificial intelligence may be used in the processing to make decisions regarding the depth and images.

An optical radiation source produced from a disordered semiconductor material, such as black silicon, is provided. The optical radiation source includes a semiconductor substrate, a disordered semiconductor structure etched in the semiconductor substrate and a heating element disposed proximal to the disordered semiconductor structure and configured to heat the disordered semiconductor structure to a temperature at which the disordered semiconductor structure emits thermal infrared radiation.

A light source apparatus includes an optical amplifier, a spectroscopic element, a spatial phase modulating element, and a controller. The spectroscopic element separates light from the optical amplifier according to wavelengths. The spatial phase modulating element includes a base part and a plurality of grating elements that reflect the light separated by the spectroscopic element. The spatial phase modulating element relatively displaces at least a part of grating elements with respect to the base part and thereby performs phase modulation on the light separated by the spectroscopic element, and emits diffracted light along an incident optical path from the spectroscopic element regarding a part of the wavelengths. The diffracted light generates the light having the part of the wavelengths in the spectroscopic element. The light having the part of the wavelengths subjected to a plurality of times of amplification by the optical amplifier is output.

In one embodiment, a system includes a pump light source configured to produce a pump beam of light at a pump frequency, and a Stokes light source configured to produce: (i) a Stokes beam of light at a Stokes frequency, where the pump and Stokes frequencies are offset by a frequency offset and (ii) a Stokes reference beam of light. The system also includes one or more optical elements configured to: direct the pump and Stokes beams of light to a sample, and collect (i) a Raman signal produced by the sample in response to the pump and Stokes beams of light and (ii) residual light from the Stokes beam of light after the Stokes beam of light has interacted with the sample. The system further includes an optical receiver configured to detect the Raman signal, where the optical receiver includes a probe light source.

In a general aspect, a portable quantum spectrum sensing system for detecting electromagnetic radiation in an environment is presented. In some implementations, a portable system includes a vapor cell sensor and a portable control package. The vapor cell sensor includes a vapor and is configured to generate output optical signals based on interactions between input optical signals, the vapor and the electromagnetic radiation. The portable control package includes a laser system configured to generate laser signals and a photonic integrated circuit system configured to generate the input optical signals based on the laser signals from the laser system. The portable control package includes a system-on-chip that can communicate control signals to the laser system and the photonic integrated circuit system. The system-on-chip can also process the output optical signals to determine one or more properties of the electromagnetic radiation.