A rotary optical position encoder includes a source of a linear-polarized light beam, a polarization-sensitive detector, and a rotating retarder disposed for rotation between the source and the detector. The retarder is configured and operative to produce a polarized exit beam whose polarization state rotates at a rate greater than a rotation rate of the retarder, thereby for increased resolution over a similar encoder using a rotating polarizer element. In an example, when polarized light is incident upon a rotating half-wave retarder, the transmitted beam's polarization axis rotates at twice the rate of retarder rotation, resulting in an electrical detector output that varies four times per revolution. Resolution is improved accordingly, as a given detected increment at the output is produced by only one-half the physical rotation increment required for a simple polarizer.

Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.

Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.

The invention pertains to a contactless measurement method for detecting rotation of an object over an axis coinciding with an optical axis of a probe beam. The probe beam is comprised of two monochromatic wavelengths with circular polarizations of opposite chirality, having a frequency difference for providing a heterodyne probe beam. A neutral beam splitter is provided that directs a reflected beam via a polarizer filter towards a first photodetector and that directs a transmitted beam toward a quarter wave plate attached to a rotatable object. A mirror reflects the probe beam, via the same quarter wave plate, back into the neutral beam splitter, which directs the reflected beam via a polarizer filter toward a second photodetector. The rotation is derived from the relative phase difference between the first and second photodetector signals.

Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.

Photonic processors are described. The photonic processors described herein are configured to perform matrix-matrix (e.g., matrix-vector) multiplication. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors arranged according to a dual-rail architecture, in which numeric values are encoded in the difference between a pair optical signals (e.g., in the difference between the powers of the optical signals). Relative to other architectures, these photonic processors exhibit increased immunity to noise. Some embodiments relate to photonic processors including modulatable detector-based multipliers. Modulatable detectors are detectors designed so that the photocurrent can be modulated according to an electrical control signal. Photonic processors designed using modulatable detector-based multipliers are significantly more compact than other types of photonic processors.

A sensor configured to detect displacement of a rotation angle of a shaft due to a rotation or a turn of the shaft, the sensor includes: a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft; and a housing including a bearing hole to which the bearing is fixed. The shaft and an inner circumferential surface of the bearing are fixed to each other by an adhesive agent, and an outer circumferential surface of the bearing and an inner circumferential surface of the bearing hole of the housing are fixed to each other by an adhesive agent.

An encoder includes a light emitting portion emitting light, an optical element portion splitting the light into a first beam and a second beam, an optical scale receiving the first beam and the second beam from the optical element portion, and a light receiving portion receiving the first beam and the second beam from the optical scale and outputting a signal in accordance with intensity of the received light, in which the optical element portion includes a prism on which the light is incident, a beam splitter disposed on the prism and splitting the light incident on the prism into the first beam heading for the optical scale and the second beam heading for an inside of the prism, and a first mirror portion disposed on the prism and reflecting the second beam from the beam splitter toward the optical scale.

An encoder includes an optical scale including a scale portion that is constituted with a polarizer, a light emitting portion which emits light, an optical element unit which divides the light into first light and second light and makes the first and second lights incident onto the scale portion, and a light receiving portion which receives the first light and the second light from the scale unit and outputs a signal corresponding to intensities of the received first light and second light, and in which the first light and the second light overlap other within a plane of the scale portion.

There are provided techniques for characterizing and testing a cable routing connection configuration connection arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fiber links connected between at least a first connection device at a first end and a second multi-fiber connection device at a second end. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding optical fiber ports of the first connection device. At least one image of the second multi-fiber connection device is captured. Test light exiting the optical fiber link(s) through optical fiber port(s) of the second multi-fiber connection device is imaged as light spot(s) in the captured image. Positions on the second multi-fiber connection device that corresponds to the optical fiber port(s) are determined based on a pattern of the light spot(s) in the captured image. In some implementations, the provided techniques allow detection or verification of cable routing connection configurations at multi-fiber distribution panels.