An electronic distance meter comprises a coupler located between a laser source and a target and adapted to divert a portion of measurement light emitted by the laser source into a calibration portion connected to a photodetector and comprising an attenuator between said coupler and said photodetector for varying the luminance value of the light passing through the calibration portion, said calibration portion having a known length and said processor being configured to perform distance measurements through the calibration portion at a variety of luminance values achieved by said attenuator to derive calibration values from said distance measurements and said known length, said processor being further configured to use said calibration values for determining a target distance based on a return pulse signal.

A ranging apparatus for use in a plasma processing chamber having an internal space and a window is disclosed. The ranging apparatus includes at least one external light emitting device disposed external to the plasma processing chamber. The external light emitting device emits at least one source light beam to the internal space through the window. The ranging apparatus includes a base wafer disposed on a stage in the internal space. The ranging apparatus includes at least one optical circuit fixed to the base wafer. The optical circuit deflects the source light beam to a target in the internal space, and deflects a reflection light beam to the window. The ranging apparatus includes at least one external light receiving device disposed external to the plasma processing chamber. The external light receiving device receives the deflected reflection light beam through the window.

A transmitter for communication-less bistatic ranging includes a photon emitter configured to emit a plurality of photons at particular times in a pointing direction, and a processor configured to identify a particular sub-code of a plurality of sub-codes based on a dynamic state of the transmitter, each one of the plurality of sub-codes including a portion of a long optimal ranging code, generate a plurality of encoded pulse timings by dithering pulse timings from a nominal repetition frequency based on the particular sub-code, and control the photon emitter to emit the plurality of photons at the plurality of encoded pulse timings.

A light emitting element (151) is configured to emit detecting light (L1). A first lens (152) is configured to allow passage of the detecting light (L1). A first optical fiber (153) is configured to guide the detecting light (L1) to the first lens (152). A second lens (154) is configured to allow passage of reflected light (L2) that is the detecting light (L1) reflected by an object (200). A second optical fiber (155) is configured to guide the reflected light (L2) having passed the second lens (154) to a light receiving element (156). A processor (157) is configured to calculate a distance to the object (200) based on a time length from time when the detecting light (L1) is emitted from the light emitting element (151) to time when the reflected light (L2) is incident on the light receiving element (156).

In a light receiving device, a light receiving element includes a first photoelectric conversion unit (PD) that converts light into electric charges, a first electric charge storage unit (MEM) to which the electric charges are transferred from the first photoelectric conversion unit, a first distribution gate, a second electric charge storage unit (MEM) to which the electric charges are transferred from the first photoelectric conversion unit, and a second distribution gate, in which the first and second distribution gates are provided at positions axially symmetric to each other with respect to a first center axis extending so as to pass through the center of the first photoelectric conversion unit, in a direction intersecting the column direction at a predetermined angle, when viewed from above the semiconductor substrate.

The present disclosure is directed to imaging LiDARs with optical antennas fed by optical waveguides. The optical antennas can be activated through an optical switch network that connects the optical antennas to a laser source to a receiver. A microlens array is positioned between a lens of the LiDAR system and the optical antennas, the microlens array being positioned so as to transform an emission angle from a corresponding optical antenna to match a chief ray angle of the lens. Methods of use and fabrication are also provided.

A waveguide comprises a first surface and a second surface. The first surface comprises a first plurality of grating structures. The waveguide is configured to guide an in-coupled light beam to undergo total internal reflection between the first surface and the second surface. The first grating structures are configured to disrupt the total internal reflection to cause at least a portion of the in-coupled light beam to couple out of the waveguide and project from the first surface, the portion of the in-coupled light beam coupled out of the waveguide forming out-coupled light beams, the out-coupled light beams being configured to form an array of dots on a surface where the out-coupled light beams are projected on.

Systems and methods described herein relate to the manufacture of optical elements and optical systems. An example method includes providing a first substrate that has a plurality of light-emitter devices disposed on a first surface. The method includes providing a second substrate that has a mounting surface defining a reference plane. The method includes forming a structure and an optical spacer on the mounting surface of the second substrate. The method additionally includes coupling the first and second substrates together such that the first surface of the first substrate faces the mounting surface of the second substrate at an angle with respect to the reference plane.

One example system comprises a light source configured to emit light. The system also comprises a waveguide configured to guide the emitted light from a first end of the waveguide toward a second end of the waveguide. The waveguide has an output surface between the first end and the second end. The system also comprises a plurality of mirrors including a first mirror and a second mirror. The first mirror reflects a first portion of the light toward the output surface. The second mirror reflects a second portion of the light toward the output surface. The first portion propagates out of the output surface toward a scene as a first transmitted light beam. The second portion propagates out of the output surface toward the scene as a second transmitted light beam.

Disclosed is a laser detection and ranging, or LiDAR, device, adapted to: detect pulses from an aperiodic pulse-train of successive pulses, wherein each pulse has a rank in the pulse-train, and wherein a pulse having a defined rank is separated from the pulse of next rank above by a predefined time interval, wherein the predefined time interval is associated with the defined rank, such that the pulse-train form a series of predefined time intervals, wherein the predefined time interval is a predefined delay function of the rank.