A light detection and ranging system include a chassis and a galvo mirror assembly. The galvo mirror assembly includes a mirror holder including a handle and a galvo mirror for receiving and reflecting a light beam; a galvo mirror mount detachably mounted on the chassis and including a recess for receiving the handle of the mirror holder; two elastic members coupled to the handle of the mirror holder and the galvo mirror mount; two set screws in contact with the handle of the mirror holder and at least partially in the galvo mirror mount; and a galvo motor in the galvo mirror mount and configured to rotate the mirror holder. The two set screws are individually adjustable to change a compression force applied to at least one of the two elastic members and a tilt angle of the mirror holder (and the galvo mirror) with respect to a vertical direction.

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning system is disclosure. In one embodiment, the system includes an optical refraction device coupled to a first actuator configured to oscillate the optical refraction device. The system further includes a mirror optically coupled to the optical refraction device and coupled to a second actuator configured to oscillate the mirror. The system further includes one or more controllers communicatively coupled to the first and second actuators. The controllers are configured to control oscillation of the optical refraction device and oscillation of the mirror to steer one or more light beams both vertically and horizontally to illuminate one or more objects within a field-of-view, obtain return light, the return light being generated based on the steered one or more light beams illuminating the one or more objects within the field-of-view, and redirect the return light to a collection lens disposed in the system.

Embodiments discussed herein refer to a relatively compact and energy efficient LiDAR system that uses a multi-plane mirror in its scanning system.

An optical aperture system is provided that includes a photonic integrated circuit. The photonic integrated circuit includes a plurality of apertures, a plurality of optical phase shifters coupled to respective apertures of the plurality of apertures, an optical splitter-combiner coupled to the plurality of optical phase shifters, an optical switch coupled to the optical splitter-combiner, a light source coupled to the optical switch, and a photodetector coupled to the optical switch. The optical aperture system further includes a controller configured to execute a first set of instructions to control the plurality of optical phase shifters and the light source in accordance with a first operating mode of a plurality of operating modes of the optical aperture system, and a processor configured to execute a second set of instructions to process an output of the photodetector in accordance with the first operating mode of the optical aperture system.

An apparatus for optically measuring a distance to a target object which is embodied as a scattering target object or a reflecting target object. The apparatus has a distance measuring device and an adjustment device. In the distance measuring device, a laser beam is generated which is adjusted with the aid of the adjustment device to an external optical unit. The adjustment device includes a beam shaping optical unit and a focal shift device.

The present disclosure describes a single aperture laser range finder (SALRF). In an implementation, the single aperture laser range finder includes a beam extender including an aperture and an input aperture lens. A matching lens collimates light emitted from an emitter element associated with a single aperture optical circulator and received by the beam extender, respectively. A single aperture optical circulator has an emitter channel associated with the emitter element and a detector channel associated with a detector element. The emitter channel and the detector channel merge together at an input/output aperture. A light gating mechanism is configured to permit received light to enter the detector channel and to prevent the received light from entering the emitter channel. The SALRF has an electronics end cap.

A photonic integrated circuit, comprising a semiconductor photonic substrate having integrated therein: at least one light receiving input; at least one optical splitter to branch light received at the at least one light receiving input to a first light path and a second light path; wherein, the photonic integrated circuit, in the first light path, includes: at least one first amplifier structure to amplify the light in the first light path to provide first amplified light; at least one first light output to output the first amplified light from the at least one first amplifier structure; and at least one first photo detector to receive light from the outside of the photonic integrated circuit, the at least one first photo detector being located next to the at least one first light output; wherein, the photonic integrated circuit, in the second light path, includes: at least one second amplifier structure to amplify the light in the second light path to provide second amplified light; at least one second light output to output the second amplified light from the at least one second amplifier structure; and at least one second photo detector to receive light from the outside of the photonic integrated circuit, the at least one second photo detector being located next to the at least one second light output.

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) scanning system is disclosure. In one embodiment, the system includes an optical refraction device coupled to a first actuator configured to oscillate the optical refraction device. The system further includes a mirror optically coupled to the optical refraction device and coupled to a second actuator configured to oscillate the mirror. The system further includes one or more controllers communicatively coupled to the first and second actuators. The controllers are configured to control oscillation of the optical refraction device and oscillation of the mirror to steer one or more light beams both vertically and horizontally to illuminate one or more objects within a field-of-view, obtain return light, the return light being generated based on the steered one or more light beams illuminating the one or more objects within the field-of-view, and redirect the return light to a collection lens disposed in the system.

An optical apparatus includes a first base and a second base, an optical element held by at least one of the first and second bases, and an adhesive configured to adhere the first and second bases to each other. The first base further includes a first recessed portion into which the second base is inserted, a first contact portion contacting the second base, and a groove portion configured to allow at least a part of the adhesive to enter therein. The second base includes a second contact portion configured to contact the first contact portion.

A detection system for a vehicle in an environment includes at least one reflective member having a rotational axis and a plurality of reflective sides. Each of the reflective sides slopes towards the rotational axis at a slope angle different than the slope angle of at least one of the others of the reflective sides. The system includes a plurality of LiDAR systems with at least one light transmitter and at least one light receiver, each LiDAR system interacting with a different one of the reflective sides to scan the environment.