A coherent LIDAR imaging system includes a laser source; an optical splitter/recombiner designed to split the laser radiation into a reference beam and into an object beam and to superpose the reference beam on a reflected object beam reflected by the scene; and an optical imager creating an image of the scene on a detector. The detector includes an array of pixels designed for detecting the reflected object beam and the reference beam which together form a recombined beam having a beat frequency representative of a range of the illuminated scene. The optical splitter/recombiner is configured to form an intermediate image of the reference beam in an intermediate image plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

An optical measurement device includes at least a multi-frequency laser configured to simultaneously generate a frequency-fixed carrier and at least one frequency-modulated subcarrier, an optical branching element, a dual frequency beat signal generator, a difference signal generator, and an arithmetic processing unit. Either the carrier or the subcarrier within the output light of the multi-frequency laser is used as first measurement light and either the carrier or the subcarrier having a frequency different from that of the first measurement light is used as second measurement light. The dual frequency beat signal generator separates and outputs a first complex beat signal derived from the first measurement light and a second complex beat signal derived from the second measurement light. The difference signal generator outputs a difference signal between the first complex beat signal and the second complex beat signal.

The present disclosure relates to a collaborative phase-shift laser ranging device based on differential modulation and demodulation of coarse and precise measuring wavelength and a ranging method thereof. A collaboration terminal is disposed at a target to be measured of a phase-shift laser ranging system, which can improve the intensity of measurement light and then irradiate the same back to a measuring terminal, thereby resolving the problem of low ranging accuracy caused by the attenuation of light intensity during long-distance ranging. The collaboration terminal detects coarseness gauge signals and modulates a laser source by means of differential modulation; the collaboration terminal detects precision gauge signals by means of difference frequency demodulation, and then the intensity of measurement light is improved by mixing and restoring the precision gauge signals and modulating the collaboration-terminal laser source.

A dual lens assembly positioned along an optical receive path within a LiDAR system is provided. The dual lens assembly is constructed to reduce a numerical aperture of a returned light pulse and reduce a walk-off error associated with one or more mirrors of the LiDAR system.

A dual lens assembly positioned along an optical receive path within a LiDAR system is provided. The dual lens assembly is constructed to reduce a numerical aperture of a returned light pulse and reduce a walk-off error associated with one or more mirrors of the LiDAR system.

LiDAR system and methods discussed herein use a dispersion element or optic that has a refraction gradient that causes a light pulse to be redirected to a particular angle based on its wavelength. The dispersion element can be used to control a scanning path for light pulses being projected as part of the LiDAR's field of view. The dispersion element enables redirection of light pulses without requiring the physical movement of a medium such as mirror or other reflective surface, and in effect further enables at least portion of the LiDAR's field of view to be managed through solid state control. The solid state control can be performed by selectively adjusting the wavelength of the light pulses to control their projection along the scanning path.

LiDAR system and methods discussed herein use a dispersion element or optic that has a refraction gradient that causes a light pulse to be redirected to a particular angle based on its wavelength. The dispersion element can be used to control a scanning path for light pulses being projected as part of the LiDAR's field of view. The dispersion element enables redirection of light pulses without requiring the physical movement of a medium such as mirror or other reflective surface, and in effect further enables at least portion of the LiDAR's field of view to be managed through solid state control. The solid state control can be performed by selectively adjusting the wavelength of the light pulses to control their projection along the scanning path.

The present application relates to an optical-electro system, which includes a substrate; at least one photo-detecting unit at least partially formed on the substrate to detect a signal light; at least one optical waveguide at least partially formed on the substrate, each of the at least one optical waveguide connected to one of the at least one photo-detecting unit to input a local light; and at least one electronic output port connected to the at least one photo-detecting unit to transmit at least one electronic output signal from the at least one photo-detecting unit, wherein the at least one electronic output signal is associated with the signal light and the local light.

A test apparatus has at least one optical source, a high-speed photodetector, a microcontroller or processor, and electrical circuitry to power and drive the optical source, high-speed photodetector, and microcontroller or processor. The apparatus measures the frequency response and optical path length of a multimode optical fiber under test, utilizes a reference VCSEL spatial spectral launch condition and modal-chromatic dispersion interaction data to estimate the channels total modal-chromatic bandwidth of the fiber under test, and computes and presents the estimated maximum data rate the fiber under test can support.

A single photon counting sensor array includes one or more emitters configured to emit a plurality of pulses of energy, and a detector array comprising a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes one or more detectors, a plurality of which are configured to receive reflected pulses of energy that were emitted by the one or more emitters. A mask material is positioned to cover some but not all of the detectors of the plurality of pixels to yield blocked pixels and unblocked pixels so that each blocked pixel is prevented from detecting the reflected pulses of energy and therefore only detects intrinsic noise.