Provided is a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device including an illuminance sensor configured to detect illuminance of light received by the LiDAR device, a photodiode array including a plurality of photodiodes that are connected in parallel, the plurality of photodiodes being configured to generate a current based on the light received, and a processor configured to determine a number of photodiodes included in the photodiode array to be activated based on the illuminance and activate the determined number of photodiodes.

An optical communication device 1 is provided with: a plurality of light-receiving elements 11 each configured to receive light and output a light detection signal; a plurality of optical fibers 13 provided to correspond to the plurality of light-receiving elements 11, respectively, the plurality of optical fibers each being configured to guide the light to the corresponding light-receiving element 11; a plurality of amplifiers 18 provided to correspond to the plurality of light-receiving elements 11, respectively, the plurality of amplifiers each being configured to generate optical communication information by performing signal processing on the light detection signal; a light intensity information collection unit 25 configured to collect intensity of the light received by each of the plurality of optical fibers 13 as light intensity information; an optical fiber identification unit 27 configured to identify the optical fiber 13 that is receiving relatively strong light out of the plurality of optical fibers 13, based on the light intensity information La to Le collected by the light intensity information collection unit 25; and a switch controller 29 configured to control to turn on the amplifier 18, the amplifier 18 being provided to correspond to the optical fiber 13 identified by the optical fiber identification unit 27.

At least one beam of an optical wave is transmitted along a transmission angle toward a target location from a send aperture of a transmitter. The optical wave comprises at least a first portion, and a second portion having a different characteristic from a characteristic of the first portion. Two or more receivers include at least one receiver comprising: a receive aperture arranged in proximity to at least one of the send aperture or a receive aperture of a different receiver, an optical phased array within the receive aperture, the optical phased array being configured to receive at least a portion of a collected optical wave arriving at the receive aperture along a respective collection angle, and a filter configured to filter the received portion of the collected optical wave according to the characteristic of the first portion of the optical wave.

Free-space optics for use in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus include a polarization beam-splitter (PBS) to direct an optical beam in a first direction toward a target environment and to propagate a portion of the optical beam in a second direction for receipt by a photodetector (PD), a polarization wave plate (PWP) to convert the optical beam from a first polarization to a second polarization, and to convert the target return signal from a third polarization to a fourth polarization, and a lens system coupled between the PBS and the PWP to magnify the optical beam. The propagated portion of the optical beam comprises a local oscillator (LO) signal to mix with a target return signal to generate target information.

Free-space optics for use in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus include a polarization beam-splitter (PBS) to direct an optical beam in a first direction toward a target environment and to propagate a portion of the optical beam in a second direction for receipt by a photodetector (PD), a polarization wave plate (PWP) to convert the optical beam from a first polarization to a second polarization, and to convert the target return signal from a third polarization to a fourth polarization, and a lens system coupled between the PBS and the PWP to magnify the optical beam. The propagated portion of the optical beam comprises a local oscillator (LO) signal to mix with a target return signal to generate target information.

A laser system includes a resonant laser cavity configured to output a laser signal. The system also includes a utility waveguide configured to receive the laser signal from the laser cavity. The utility waveguide includes a perturbation region that is external to the laser cavity and receives the laser signal from the laser cavity and outputs a laser beam. The perturbation region includes one or more perturbation structures that each causes one or more perturbation(s) in the index of refraction of the utility waveguide. The perturbation structures are selected to provide optical feedback to the resonant laser cavity such that a power versus wavelength distribution in the laser beam is different from the power versus wavelength distribution that would be in the laser signal in the absence of the perturbation structures.

A laser system includes a resonant laser cavity configured to output a laser signal. The system also includes a utility waveguide configured to receive the laser signal from the laser cavity. The utility waveguide includes a perturbation region that is external to the laser cavity and receives the laser signal from the laser cavity and outputs a laser beam. The perturbation region includes one or more perturbation structures that each causes one or more perturbation(s) in the index of refraction of the utility waveguide. The perturbation structures are selected to provide optical feedback to the resonant laser cavity such that a power versus wavelength distribution in the laser beam is different from the power versus wavelength distribution that would be in the laser signal in the absence of the perturbation structures.

A photonic circulator deployed on a chip-scale light-detection and ranging (LiDAR) device includes a first arm that includes a first waveguide that is bonded onto a first member at a first bonding region, and a second arm that includes a second waveguide that is bonded onto a second member at a second bonding region. A first thermo-optic phase shifter is arranged on the first member and collocated with the first waveguide, and a second thermo-optic phase shifter is arranged on the second member and collocated with the second waveguide. The magneto-optic material and the first thermo-optic phase shifter of the first member cause a first phase shift in a first light beam travelling through the first waveguide, and the magneto-optic material and the second thermo-optic phase shifter of the second member cause a second phase shift in a second light beam travelling through the second waveguide.

A device for receiving light having at least one wavelength for the detection of an object, includes: an optical phased array including a plurality of optical phased sub-arrays, each optical phased sub-array including (a) a plurality of antennas and (b) a detector for coherently receiving light; and an evaluation unit connected to the optical phased sub-arrays and configured to determine the angle at which the object is detected.

A device for receiving light having at least one wavelength for the detection of an object, includes: an optical phased array including a plurality of optical phased sub-arrays, each optical phased sub-array including (a) a plurality of antennas and (b) a detector for coherently receiving light; and an evaluation unit connected to the optical phased sub-arrays and configured to determine the angle at which the object is detected.