A LiDAR process executed by a signal processing component of a LiDAR apparatus, including: receiving LiDAR signal data representing a signal received at an optical receiver of a LiDAR apparatus and including a scattered and/or reflected portion of an optical signal transmitted by an optical transmitter of the LiDAR apparatus and encoded with a known digital signal, the scattered and/or reflected portion of the transmitted optical signal having been scattered and/or reflected from an object spaced from the LiDAR apparatus by a distance, and having a Doppler shifted angular frequency due to radial motion of the object relative to the LiDAR apparatus; processing the LiDAR signal data to generate corresponding frequency compensated signal data representing a frequency compensated signal corresponding to the received signal, but in which the Doppler shifted angular frequency has been removed and the known digital signal is encoded into the amplitude of the frequency compensated signal; and correlating the frequency compensated signal with a template of the known digital signal to generate a corresponding measurement of the distance of the object from the LiDAR apparatus.

A photonic, integrated circuit chip can have a frequency comb laser configured to generate a plurality of wavelengths, a plurality of modulators, one respective modulator for each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, the plurality of modulators being aligned in series with each of the plurality of modulators being tuned to a respective one of the wavelengths of the plurality of wavelengths, a connector configured to convey a drive signal for each modulator of the plurality of modulators, a semiconductor optical amplifier configured to receive light exiting from the plurality of modulators, and a chip having present thereon the frequency comb laser, the plurality of modulators, and the semiconductor optical amplifier. The plurality of modulators can be configured to produce a single beam of time-interleaved, multiple-wavelength output laser light. A mobile system, such as a satellite, can also have the photonic, integrated circuit chip as a component thereof.

A chromatic range sensor (CRS) system is configured to provide an in-focus image of a workpiece surface including a measurement spot usable as a guide light. The system includes an optical pen having a chromatically dispersive lens configuration providing axial chromatic dispersion, and a reflected light dividing configuration (e.g., a beamsplitter) arranged to receive and divide reflected light from the workpiece surface into a measurement portion and an imaging portion. The optical pen includes a narrowband spectral filter and a camera. The CRS system includes a processing portion configured to measure a distance from the optical pen to the workpiece surface, and to make an adjustment so that the distance corresponds to a focus distance at which the workpiece surface is in focus when imaged by the light that passes through the narrowband spectral filter.

A light receiver array according to the present invention is constituted by array-aligning plural receivers having slow light waveguides of photonic crystals, and a LiDAR device according to the present invention is constituted by linearly arranging a light receiver array and a transmitter. An arranging relationship of plural receivers of the light receiver array is an array-like element formed by array-aligning plural receivers having the slow light waveguides of photonic crystals, and the array alignment is defined by alignment for defining a position relationship between the plural receivers constituting the light receiver array, and orientation for defining a direction of each receiver. A relationship p=λ/sin Δθr is satisfied between the alignment pitch p, wavelength λ of the reception light, and an arrival angle Δθr when a phase difference between reception lights received by waveguide ends of adjacent receivers is one wavelength. Such a constitution that the arrival angle Δθr is equal to a widening angle Δθt of radiation light is suitable.

A sensing system is provided. The sensing system includes an electrical pulse generator that receives first optical pulses output from a pulsed laser, through a first path, and photo-electrically converts the first optical pulses to generate an electrical pulses; and an optical phase detector that receives second optical pulses output from the pulsed laser, through a second path, and outputs an electrical signal that corresponds to a phase error between the electrical pulses and the second optical pulses based on electro-optic sampling.

An integrated device includes a laser ranging module, a dual-branched fiber bundle, a beam splitter, and an image receiving module. The laser ranging module includes a light source, an optical receiver and a computing unit. The fiber bundle is disposed between the laser ranging module and the beam splitter. A target reflects a measuring beam emitted by the light source to form a reflected beam. The beam splitter splits the reflected beam into a first reflected beam and a second reflected beam. The first reflected beam is transmitted to the optical receiver through the fiber bundle to generate a measurement signal. The computing unit receives the measurement signal to calculate a distance between the target and the fiber bundle. The image receiving module is disposed on the optical path of the second reflected beam to receive the second reflected beam and displays the image of the target.

Example radar systems, optical detectors, vehicles, and optical detection methods are provided. An example radar system includes a laser device and an optical detector. The optical detector can include a first polarization scanner and a photosensitive device. The laser device can be configured to emit detection laser. The first polarization scanner can be configured to refract an echo signal of the detection laser, where a refractive index of the first polarization scanner is variable. The photosensitive device can be configured to sense the echo signal refracted by the first polarization scanner.

An optical system has a LIDAR chip that includes a switch configured to direct an outgoing LIDAR signal to one of multiple different alternate waveguides. The system also includes a redirection component configured to receive the outgoing LIDAR signal from any one of the alternate waveguides. The redirection component is also configured to redirect the received outgoing LIDAR signal such that a direction that the outgoing LIDAR signal travels away from the redirection component changes in response to changes in the alternate waveguide to which the optical switch directs the outgoing LIDAR signal.

Disclosed herein is a system and method for facilitating estimation of a spatial profile of an environment based on a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based technique. By repurposing the optical energy for communications needs, the present disclosure facilitates spatial profile estimation by optical means while facilitating free-space optical communication.

A pulsed light emitting element emits pulsed light that is linearly polarized in a first polarization direction, the pulsed light passes through a polarizing beam splitter and a lens in this order and is radiated onto a target object, reflected light passes through the lens and the polarizing beam splitter in this order, is linearly polarized in a second polarization direction that is different from the first polarization direction, and is concentrated on a light receiving element, the pulsed light emitting element and the light receiving element are provided on a focal plane of the lens, and the optical axis of the pulsed light and the optical axis of the reflected light overlap.