A random number sequence generation apparatus includes: a semiconductor laser device repeatedly generating a pulsed laser beam having a disordered phase; an interferometer including a first transmission line and a second transmission line, a first port connected to an input terminal side and to which the pulsed laser beam is input, a second port connected to an output terminal side and outputs the pulsed laser beam, and a third port connected to the input terminal side; a Faraday mirror connected to the second port and reflecting the pulsed laser beam; a photodiode connected to the third port and outputs an electrical signal in accordance with interference light of the pulsed laser beam that is reflected by the Faraday mirror and passes through one of the transmission lines; and an AD converter configured to generate a random number sequence on the basis of the electrical signal and a threshold.

A solid-state laser system includes: a first solid-state laser device configured to output a first pulse laser beam; a second solid-state laser device configured to output a second pulse laser beam; a first non-linear crystal disposed on a first optical path and configured to convert the first and second pulse laser beams into a third pulse laser beam and output the third pulse laser beam; and a second non-linear crystal disposed on a second optical path and configured to convert the second and third pulse laser beams into a fourth pulse laser beam and output the fourth pulse laser beam. The second pulse laser beam is incident on the second non-linear crystal at a first timing before the first non-linear crystal. Residual light of the second pulse laser beam is incident on the first non-linear crystal at a second timing later than the first timing.

A laser driving apparatus includes a driver, a tracking circuit, a comparator and a control circuit. The driver includes a laser driving circuit, and the tracking circuit includes a reference current source and a replica circuit. The laser driving circuit generates a driving current to drive a laser. The reference current source generates a reference current as a reference for the laser driving apparatus. The replica circuit corresponds to at least a portion of the laser driving circuit, generates a sensing current according to the reference current and track the driving current. The comparator compares voltages respectively on the laser driving circuit and the replica circuit to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit adjusts the sensing current or the driving current according to the comparison signal. The laser driving apparatus can include multiple channels with multiple drivers.

A sensor system includes an optical aperture, a light source configured to generate a light pulse along a first optical path, a reflective surface configured to reflect the light pulse from the first optical path to a second optical path for passing through the optical aperture, a beam steering device positioned in the optical aperture and configured to steer the light pulse along different directions to one or more objects in an angle of view of the sensor system, a detector configured to receive a reflected light pulse and convert the reflected light pulse into an electrical signal, the reflected light pulse being reflected back from the one or more objects and passed through the beam steer device, and a spatial filtering device positioned between the beam steering device and the detector to block undesirable light in both the light pulse and the reflected light pulse.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for detecting a substance are disclosed. One system includes a light source, an optical cavity, a cavity detector, and a processor. The light source generates a beam of electro-magnetic radiation, wherein a wavelength of the beam of electro-magnetic radiation is tuned to operate at multiple wavelengths. The optical cavity receives the beam of electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the physical characteristics of the cavity define a plurality of allowed axial-plus-transverse electro-magnetic radiation modes, wherein only a subset of the allowed axial-plus-transverse electro-magnetic radiation modes are excited when the optical cavity receives the beam of electro-magnetic radiation. The cavity detector senses electro-magnetic radiation emanating from the optical cavity. The processor operates to receive information relating to the sensed electro-magnetic radiation, and detects the substance within the optical cavity based on amplitude and/or phase of the sensed electro-magnetic radiation emanating from the optical cavity.

Systems and methods disclosed herein include an illumination module for 3D sensing applications. The illumination module may include an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) emitting light, a driver configured to provide current to the array of VCSELs, and an optical element configured to receive the light emitted by the array of VCSELs and output a light pattern from the illumination module.

A system for transmitting a sequence of at least two data bursts in a fibre optical communications system includes: selection circuitry configured to select one of a data input value, a logical high value or a logical low value such that the selection circuitry selects the data input value during a data transmission period during a defined burst period and selects one of the logical high value and the logical low value during an extension time period during the defined burst period and immediately following the data transmission period, such that for the sequence of at least two bursts, at least one burst has a logical low value extension period and at least one burst has a logical high value extension period; drive circuitry configured to apply a current to a laser diode, the current corresponding to the value selected by the selection circuitry during the defined burst period or a zero value otherwise, the current being such that the laser diode is configured to provide an optical output; an optical sensor module configured to provide a sensor module output corresponding to the optical output of the laser diode; wherein the sensor module output is configured to provide an electrical output proportional to the laser diode's optical output corresponding to the logical high value and the logical low value in the sequence of at least two bursts, and further configured to provide an output corresponding to an average value of the sensor module output during only the data transmission period during the sequence of bursts; and a controller configured to receive values regarding desired minimum and maximum optical output power levels of the laser diode and to receive the electrical output from the optical sensor module proportional to the optical output power level corresponding to the logical high and the logical low values, and to receive the output corresponding to the average value of the sensor module output during only the data transmission period during the sequence of bursts; wherein the controller is configured to use the received information to provide control values for the drive circuitry.

A single loop hardware-based system for producing laser pulses in a microsecond scale operational mode includes a GUI to enable a user to select the operational mode of the system; a laser source for producing one or more laser beam pulses, the laser source being a diode laser pump source module; a DSP which enables and disables a hardware-based FPGA. The FPGA controls the diode pump source module. When a user selects one or more microsecond scale laser sub-pulses on the GUI, the DSP transmits to the FPGA the sub-pulse energy level and the sub-pulse on-time selected by the user on the GUI. A photodetector operatively connected to the hardware-based system measures the power of the laser pulse beam that was transmitted to the photodetector and, in a feedback mode, transmits a feedback signal of that power measurement to the FPGA. The FPGA compares the power of the laser beam measured by the photodetector to the power of the laser beam selected by the user on the GUI. If the power level read by the FPGA is higher than the selected power level, the FGPA decreases the power level to the pumping source module for any subsequent laser pulses; and if the power level read by the FPGA is less than the selected power level, the FGPA increases the power level to the pumping source module for subsequent laser pulses.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for detecting a substance are disclosed. One system includes a light source, an optical cavity, a cavity detector, and a processor. The light source generates a beam of electro-magnetic radiation, wherein a wavelength of the beam of electro-magnetic radiation is tuned to operate at multiple wavelengths. The optical cavity receives the beam of electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the physical characteristics of the cavity define a plurality of allowed axial-plus-transverse electro-magnetic radiation modes, wherein only a subset of the allowed axial-plus-transverse electro-magnetic radiation modes are excited when the optical cavity receives the beam of electro-magnetic radiation. The cavity detector senses electro-magnetic radiation emanating from the optical cavity. The processor operates to receive information relating to the sensed electro-magnetic radiation, and detects the substance within the optical cavity based on amplitude and/or phase of the sensed electro-magnetic radiation emanating from the optical cavity.

A sensor system can comprise a light source generating a light pulse that is collimated, and a plurality of optical elements. Each of the plurality of optical elements is configured to rotate independently about an axis that is substantially common, and the plurality of optical elements operate to collectively direct the light pulse to one or more objects in an angle of view of the sensor system. Furthermore, the sensor system can comprise a detector configured to receive, via the plurality of optical elements, at least a portion of photon energy of the light pulse that is reflected back from the one or more objects in the angle of view of the sensor system, and convert the received photon energy into at least one electrical signal.