Abstract: A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.

Abstract: An electro-holographic light field generator device is disclosed. The light field generator device has an optical substrate with a waveguide face and an exit face. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulator devices are included within each light field generator device. The SAW devices each include a light input, a waveguide, and a SAW transducer, all configured for guided mode confinement of input light within the waveguide. A leaky mode deflection of a portion of the waveguided light, or diffractive light, impinges upon the exit face. Multiple output optics at the exit face are configured for developing from each of the output optics a radiated exit light from the diffracted light for at least one of the waveguides. An RF controller is configured to control the SAW devices to develop the radiated exit light as a three-dimensional output light field with horizontal parallax and compatible with observer vertical motion.

Abstract: A LiDAR system has a field of view and includes a polarization-based waveguide splitter. The splitter includes a first splitter port, a second splitter port and a common splitter port. A laser is optically coupled to the first splitter port via a single-polarization waveguide. An objective lens optically couples each optical emitter of an array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view. An optical switching network is coupled via respective dual-polarization waveguides between the common splitter port and the array of optical emitters. An optical receiver is optically coupled to the second splitter port via a dual-polarization waveguide and is configured to receive light reflected from the field of view. A controller, coupled to the optical switching network, is configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a temporal pattern.

Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.

Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.

Abstract: A system and method for metrology and profilometry using a light field generator are disclosed. For this purpose, a system such as an optical analysis system scans a sample using light, and detects light reflected off a sample in various ways. The system operates different operational modes including a backscatter intensity, a triangulation, and an interferometric mode. For this purpose, the optical analysis system includes one or more optical angle modulation systems, such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) modulators, that emit light, a sample holder, and a scanning system that scans the one or more SAW modulators relative to the sample holder. The system performs tomographic reconstructions of information generated by the scans to create 3D maps/volume datasets of the sample.

Abstract: A chip scale encapsulated vacuum field emission device integrated circuit and method of fabrication therefor are disclosed. The vacuum field emission device is a monolithically fabricated triode vacuum field emission device, also known as a VACFET device. The VACFET device includes a substrate, a VACFET formed laterally on the substrate, and a containment shell that seals around a periphery of the VACFET and against the substrate. Preferably, the VACFET of the VACFET device includes an anode and a cathode formed on the substrate, a bottom gate and a top gate. The bottom gate is located between the anode and the cathode and the substrate, and the top gate is located above the anode and the cathode with respect to the substrate.

Abstract: A parallelized chain-synthesizing technique includes capillary tubes, where each tube provides multiple locations or addresses where a specific arbitrary sequence for polymeric chains can be synthesized. An optical addressing system selectively delivers light to the locations to mediate or control reactions in the tubes.

Abstract: A communication system for a hypersonic vehicle uses a distributed antenna system, an impedance matching circuit that provides impedance matching between a transmitter and/or receiver and the selected one or more antennas of the distributed antennas system and a surrounding plasma sheath, near-field probes to determine impedance of the plasma sheath adjacent to each of the probes and thus predict behavior of the respective antennas near the probes, and a control system that selectively connects a transmitter and/or receiver to one or more of the antennas based upon the antennas that are seeing the most favorable transmission or reception characteristics and controlling the impedance matching is to provide impedance matching for the selected antennas.

Abstract: There can be a problem of output intensity node or nodes as a function of angle, for waveguide-based optical modulators, such as leaky-mode surface acoustic wave modulators. Several approaches are illustrated that can be used to provide more uniform output light across a range of angles, i.e., that is avoid dark “drop-outs.” It can also be used to increase the output angle range or exit light fan. This is achieved by leveraging the different diffraction characteristics between different guided modes. It exploits the observation that utilizing different waveguide guided modes, e.g. TE0 like versus TE1-like, causes a SAW optical modulator to operate with different relationships between output angle and output intensity. It turns out that they can be at least complementary, that is: one waveguide mode can fill in the dark gaps of another wave guide mode.

Abstract: Electro-holographic light field generator devices comprising surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulators are disclosed that employ multiple output couplers. These output couplers might be distributed along waveguides of the SAW modulators, within output coupling regions. Each of these output couplers can be configured for directing an incident leaky mode light at different output angles. In some cases, it may be desirable to employ the output couplers to function as different sub-pixels, to provide light to different viewing directions. The output couplers may be mirrors, volume gratings, chirped gratings, reflection gratings, two dimensional gratings, and/or transmission gratings. The output couplers may be angled so that the coupling output fans for each optical modulator are offset from the waveguide for that optical modulator.

Abstract: A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.

Abstract: A light steeling system and method for diffractive steering of electromagnetic radiation such as visible light is disclosed. Embodiments of the light steering system include leaky-mode SAW modulators as light modulator devices. The SAW modulators preferably include reflective diffractive gratings. The gratings are mounted to/patterned upon an exit face that opposes an exit surface of the SAW modulator, in one example. Steering of light signals emitted from the SAW modulators in these systems can be accomplished by varying wavelength of light signals introduced to the SAW modulators, and/or by varying frequency of RF drive signals applied to the SAW modulators. In addition, light field generators that incorporate SAW modulators of the proposed light steering system within displays of the light field generators are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system and corresponding method are described for multi-frequency ultrasonically-encoded tomography of a target object. One or more probe inputs generate probe input signals to the target object. An ultrasound transducer array is placed on the outer surface of the target object and has multiple ultrasound transducers each generating a different time-dependent waveform to form a plurality of ultrasound input signals to a target probe volume within the target object. A photorefractive crystal mixes scattered light output signals from the target probe volume with an optical reference beam input to produce optical tomography output signals including ultrasound sum frequencies components. A photodetector senses the optical tomography output signals from the photorefractive crystal.

Abstract: A system is described for multi-frequency ultrasonically-encoded optical tomography of target tissue. A light source generates light input signals to the target tissue. An ultrasound transducer array has ultrasound transducers each generating a different time-dependent waveform to form a plurality of ultrasound input signals to an imaging volume within the target tissue. An optical sensor senses scattered light signals from the imaging volume, wherein the scattered light signals include light input signals modulated by acousto-optic interactions with the ultrasound input signals. Spectral analysis of the scattered light signals is performed to create a three-dimensional image map representing biomarker characteristics of the target tissue.

Abstract: A system is described for multi-frequency ultrasonically-encoded tomography of a target object. One or more probe inputs generate probe input signals to the target object. An ultrasound transducer array is placed on the outer surface of the target object and has multiple ultrasound transducers each generating a different time-dependent waveform to form a plurality of ultrasound input signals to a target probe volume within the target object. One or more sensors sense tomography output signals from the target probe volume, wherein the tomography output signals contain an interaction component generated by interaction of the probe input signals with the ultrasound input signals. A tomography analysis of the tomography output signals is performed to create a three-dimensional object map representing structural and/or functional characteristics of the target object.

Abstract: A system and corresponding method are described for multi-frequency ultrasonically-encoded tomography of a target object. One or more probe inputs generate probe input signals to the target object. An ultrasound transducer array is placed on the outer surface of the target object and has multiple ultrasound transducers each operating at a different ultrasound frequency to generate ultrasound input signals to a target probe volume within the target object. A photorefractive crystal mixes scattered light output signals from the target probe volume with an optical reference beam input to produce optical tomography output signals including ultrasound sum frequencies components. A photodetector senses the optical tomography output signals from the photorefractive crystal. A tomography analysis of the tomography output signals including the ultrasound sum frequencies components is performed to create a three-dimensional object map representing structural and/or functional characteristics of the target object.

Abstract: A light field generator system including a leaky-mode SAW modulator is disclosed. The modulator incorporates at least one optical power component, such as a concave mirror or volume grating having a non-zero diopter rating. In some embodiments, the system incorporates the at least one optical power component by embedding the optical power component within a substrate of the SAW modulator and/or by placing the optical power component upon a surface of the SAW modulator.

Abstract: A system and method for light field generation is disclosed. A proposed holographic display system encodes views of a scene into surface acoustic waves (SAW signals) that propagate along waveguides of SAW modulators and/or optical signals propagating in the waveguides. Each view provides a different perspective of the scene when the views are projected as light fields out of the SAW modulators and are viewed at different locations by an observer. In some examples, the system encodes the brightness information for each view into the light signals.

Abstract: Acousto-optical modulators, such as a SAW modulators, with telescope arrays and superimposed volume gratings for light field generation are disclosed. These devices can employ pixelated demagnification and have layers of output optics, such as reflective gratings and/or arrays of transmissive refractive or diffractive lenses that manipulate the light emitted by the SAW modulator. In other cases, superimposed volume gratings are used, in which pixilation occurs in angle space.