An underwater communications system may include a first device and a second device being movable relative to one another. The first device may include a first laser transmitter configured to generate a first laser beam having a selectable spatiotemporal beam shape from among a plurality thereof, and a first controller coupled to the first laser transmitter and configured to select a spatiotemporal beam shape for the first laser beam from among the spatiotemporal beam shapes. The second device may include a second laser receiver configured to receive the first laser beam, and a second controller coupled to the second laser receiver.

A photonic antenna array includes: a plurality of tapered fiber ends; and a support plate. Each tapered fiber end of the plurality of tapered fiber ends corresponds to a respective fiber of a plurality of fibers. A portion of each of the plurality of fibers is run through the support plate. A fiber core diameter at a tapered end point of a respective tapered fiber end of the plurality of tapered fiber ends has a first diameter. A fiber core diameter at a non-tapered portion of the respective fiber corresponding to the respective tapered fiber end has a second diameter. The first diameter is smaller than the second diameter. The respective tapered fiber end is configured to provide a mode field diameter larger than a diameter of the non-tapered portion of the respective fiber corresponding to the respective tapered fiber end.

A photonic synthesizer includes a multifrequency optical source to produce a signal of interest from a pair of lasers, which may be self-injection locked chip lasers. The signal is referenced to a high frequency clock using a photonic mixer/divider based on an electro-optical modulator and a relatively slow photodiode. The electro-optical modulator produces optical harmonics from the beams from the pair of lasers, where one harmonic from the first laser beam and one harmonic from the second laser beam beat on the photodiode. A phase locked control signal is generated for controlling the output frequency of one or both of the two lasers. The output signal of the photonic synthesizer is generated using a relatively fast photodiode based on a difference in frequencies of the pair of lasers. The output signal may be a millimeter wave-band signal. The photonic synthesizer can be formed as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC).

An apparatus is provided for using a square wave digital chirp signal for optical chirp range detection. A laser source emits an optical signal and a RF waveform generator generates an input digital chirp signal based on the square wave digital chirp signal. A frequency of the optical signal is modulated based on the input digital chirp signal. A splitter divides the optical signal into a transmit optical signal and a reference optical signal. A detector combines the reference optical signal and a return optical signal from an object. The detector generates an electrical output signal based on the combined reference optical signal and the return optical signal. A processor determines a range to the object based on a characteristic of a Fourier transform the electrical output signal. A method is also provided for using the square wave digital chirp signal for optical chirp range detection.

A system includes a housing including a front panel, a rear panel, an upper panel, and a lower panel. The system includes a first circuit board or substrate, at least one data processor coupled to the first circuit board or substrate and configured to process data, and at least one optical module coupled to the first circuit board or substrate. Each optical module is configured to perform at least one of (i) convert input optical signals to electrical signals that are provided to the at least one data processor, or (ii) convert electrical signals received from the at least one data processor to output optical signals. The system includes at least one inlet fan mounted near the front panel and configured to increase an air flow across a surface of at least one of (i) the at least one data processor, (ii) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one data processor, (iii) the at least one optical module, or (iv) a heat dissipating device thermally coupled to the at least one optical module. The system includes at least one laser module configured to provide optical power to the at least one optical module.

An outdoor lighting system for illumination of an outdoor area, the system configured to provide dynamical control in the outdoor area, the system comprising: a plurality of luminaires configured in the outdoor area; a plurality of street devices connected with the plurality of luminaires; at least one remote processor; at least one secondary processor; a cloud to which the plurality of luminaires and the plurality of street devices are connected; and the at least one remote processor and the at least one secondary processor are connected to the cloud; wherein the plurality of luminaires and the plurality of street devices are controlled in a plurality of functional modes.

Disclosed herein is a transponder comprising a transmitter and a receiver. The transponder further comprises a receiver input amplifier, a bypass line, and a control unit configured for determining the performance of the transponder in relation to an OSNR related parameter, by controlling the transponder to generate a noise signal to be received by the receiver. The receiver input amplifier is operated to thereby cause ASE in the receiver input amplifier to facilitate the determination. A test signal is generated at the transmitter Said noise signal and said test signal, and/or one or more respective replicas thereof, are superimposed to form a combined signal to be received by said receiver to further facilitate determination of said performance related parameter based on said combined signal, wherein for generating said combined signal, said test signal is fed from the transmitter to the receiver by means of said bypass line.

Disclosed herein is a transponder comprising a transmitter and a receiver. The transponder further comprises a receiver input amplifier, a bypass line, and a control unit configured for determining the performance of the transponder in relation to an OSNR related parameter, by controlling the transponder to generate a noise signal to be received by the receiver. The receiver input amplifier is operated to thereby cause ASE in the receiver input amplifier to facilitate the determination. A test signal is generated at the transmitter Said noise signal and said test signal, and/or one or more respective replicas thereof, are superimposed to form a combined signal to be received by said receiver to further facilitate determination of said performance related parameter based on said combined signal, wherein for generating said combined signal, said test signal is fed from the transmitter to the receiver by means of said bypass line.

A multi-channel parallel optical communication module includes a casing having an airtight cavity, an optical communication assembly accommodated in the airtight cavity, and a temperature controller in thermal contact with the optical communication assembly. The optical communication assembly includes a plurality of optical communication units disposed at same level, and a number of the plurality of optical communication units is greater than four.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include optical transmitters and transceivers with improved reliability. In some embodiments, the optical transmitters are used in network devices, such as in conjunction with a network switch. In one embodiment, lasers are operated at low power to improve reliability and power consumption. The output of the laser may be modulated by a non-direct modulator and received by integrated optical components, such as a modulator and/or multiplexer. The output of the optical components may be amplified by a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Various advantageous configurations of lasers, optical components, and SOAs are disclosed. In some embodiments, SOAs are configured as part of a pluggable optical communication module, for example.