Abstract: The present disclosure relates to integration of integrated photonics-based optical gyroscopes and fiber-based optical gyroscopes into portable apparatuses that may include compass features. Novel small-footprint modularized fully integrated photonics optical gyroscopes are used for non-critical axes. However, for at least one critical axis, a fiber-optic gyroscope can be used to provide bias stability below 0.1°/Hr, which is directly correlated to predicting positional accuracy in the centimeter range. The positional accuracy results from the compassing ability of the gyroscope (referred to as gyrocompass) to calculate direction of heading using the earth's rotation.

Abstract: Novel small-footprint integrated photonics optical gyroscopes disclosed herein can provide ARW in the range of 0.05°/?Hr or below (e.g. as low as 0.02°/?Hr), which makes them comparable to fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) in terms of performance, at a much lower cost. The low bias stability value in the integrated photonics optical gyroscope corresponds to a low bias estimation error (in the range of 1.5°/Hr or even lower) that is crucial for safety-critical applications, such as calculating heading for autonomous vehicles, drones, aircrafts etc. The integrated photonics optical gyroscopes may be co-packaged with mechanical gyroscopes into a hybrid inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide high-precision angular measurement for one or more axes.

Abstract: Optical devices that combine imaging with spectral detection usually require bulky or expensive optics or are limited in the spectral measurements that can be made. The disclosed device uses a lens and mirror to provide two image planes: one for a pixelated detector and the other for an optical fiber assembly. The optical fiber assembly may be scanned over most or all of the field of view, or this may be achieved with a fixed fiber assembly and translatable mirror. Multiple fibers may be included in the assembly and multiple measurement or other devices may be connected to the remote ends of the optical fibers.

Abstract: A device comprises first, second, third and fourth elements fabricated on a common substrate. The first element comprises an active waveguide structure supporting a first optical mode, the second element comprises a passive waveguide structure supporting a second optical mode, the third element, at least partly butt-coupled to the first element, comprises an intermediate waveguide structure supporting intermediate optical modes, and a fourth element comprising TCO material that is attached to the first element. If the first optical mode differs from the second optical mode by more than a predetermined amount, a tapered waveguide structure in at least one of the second and third elements facilitates efficient adiabatic transformation. No adiabatic transformation occurs between any of the intermediate optical modes and the first optical mode. Mutual alignments of the first, the second, the third, and the fourth elements are defined using lithographic alignment marks.

Abstract: A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) detector circuit includes a memory device comprising a non-transitory storage medium that is configured to store data indicative of detection events in respective memory bins, and at least one control circuit. The at least one control circuit is configured to receive detection signals from one or more photodetector elements, identify a presence or an absence of detection events indicated by the detection signals during a portion of time between pulses of an emitter signal output from a LIDAR emitter element, and execute one of a first memory operation or a second memory operation to update the data in the respective memory bins responsive to identification of the presence or the absence of the detection events, respectively. Related circuits and methods of operation are also discussed.

Abstract: A radio frequency generator has first and second lasers configured to emit first and second optical outputs; a reference module configured to receive at least part of the first and second optical outputs from the first and second lasers; a control module connected to the first and second lasers and to the reference module; and an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter configured to process optical signals, originating from the first and second single-frequency lasers, to provide a radio frequency output. Another radio frequency generator has a control module; and a reference module connected to the control module. The reference module includes a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) having first and second single-frequency lasers configured to emit first and second optical outputs; an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer (UMZI) with first and second 3×3 optical splitter/combiners; first and second peripheral splitter/combiners; and an output splitter/combiner.

Abstract: A method of operating a time of flight system includes detecting first optical signals comprising a first frequency having a first unambiguous range, the first optical signals reflected from a target, processing the first optical signals to determine a first estimated distance to the target, and generating an output frame comprising a true distance to the target based on the first estimated distance and a second estimated distance to the target, wherein the second estimated distance was used to generate a previous output frame.

Abstract: A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) apparatus includes a detector having a first pixel and a second pixel configured to output respective detection signals responsive to light incident thereon, and receiver optics configured to collect the light over a field of view and direct first and second portions of the light to the first and second pixels, respectively. The first pixel includes one or more time of flight (ToF) sensors, and the second pixel includes one or more image sensors. At least one of the receiver optics or arrangement of the first and second pixels in the detector is configured to correlate the first and second pixels such that depth information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the first pixel is correlated with image information indicated by the respective detection signals output from the second pixel. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a sensor and sensor platform, for an autonomous system. The sensor and its platform sense, perform signal or data processing, and make the decision locally at the point of sensing. More specifically, the sensor along with its platform simulates the human-like or human capacity to make decisions by combing the data from several sensors that detect different data sets, and combine them in a series of data processes that allows autonomous decisions to be made. Additionally, the sensor platform combines multiple sensors in one metasensor with the functionality of multiple sensors placed on a common carrier or platform.

Abstract: Wavelength division multiplexers for space division multiplexing can include wavelength division multiplexing fanout devices or pump-signal combiners for multicore fibers.

Abstract: A device comprises three elements, realized as photonic integrated circuits. The first element comprises a tunable semiconductor laser emitting light at a laser output wavelength. The second element comprises a wavelength selective element, coupled to the first element. The third element comprises N photodetectors where N>=2, coupled to the second element. Light coupled into the second element from the first element is de-multiplexed by the wavelength selective element such that a ratio of light power coupled from the second element into one of the N photodetectors to light power coupled from the second element into another one of the N photodetectors is a function of the laser output wavelength. The responses of the N photodetectors facilitate at least one of measurement and control of the laser output wavelength.

Abstract: A LIDAR apparatus includes an emitter array having a plurality of emitter pixels configured to emit optical signals, a detector array having a plurality of detector pixels configured to output detection signals responsive to light incident thereon, and a circuit that is coupled to the detector array. The circuit is configured to perform operations including receiving the detection signals output from the detector array, where each of the detection signals includes component measurements defining a respective phase vector, generating a combined vector based on the component measurements of a plurality of the detection signals, and identifying a distance range of a target from which the optical signals were reflected based on an angle of the combined vector. Related devices and methods of operation are also discussed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a coherent optical combining photonic integrated circuit that can detect and align light amplified by a scalable quantity of semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The light can be split into beams and amplified by individual SOAs in a PIC and combined via couplers in the PIC. The combined light can be measured using a photodetector and the light beams can be adjusted based the photodetector measurement to coherently combine the light to achieve high optical power from the photonic integrated circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed are integrated electro-absorption modulators (EAM) that are structured and/or operated to improve uniformity of the photocurrent density along the active region. In various embodiments, this improvement results from increased optical absorption at the rear of the EAM, e.g., as achieved by heating a region at the rear, increasing a bias voltage applied across the EAM towards the rear, or changing a material composition of an intrinsic layer towards the rear. In another embodiment, the improvement is achieved by coupling light from a waveguide into the EAM active region continuously along a length of the EAM, using overlap between a tapered section of the waveguide and the EAM.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for infrared (IR) image operations are provided. An example imaging system includes a first IR imaging device configured to generate first IR image data and a second IR imaging device configured to generate second IR image data. The system further includes a computing device that receives the first IR image data from the first IR imaging device and receives the second IR image data from the second IR imaging device. The computing device further determines a first feature representing a position of a gas plume based upon the first IR image data and a second feature representing a position of the gas plume based upon the second IR image data and determines a disparity between the first and second features. The computing device further determines a distance between the imaging system and the gas plume based upon the determined disparity.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit device can comprise one or more layers having different refraction indices that cause optical coupling issues and losses from layer variations. A film of material can be applied to a layer of the photonic integrated circuit to avoid the issues to increase the optical bandwidth of the photonic integrated circuit device and decrease sensitivity to manufacturing and design processes.

Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a method and a device for extracting overlapping peaks based on mode decomposition, which includes: obtaining a problem formula for finding peak values according to an between-class variance function representation, adding a penalty term and a Lagrange multiplier to the function by using an augmented Lagrange multiplier method, and transforming an optimization problem formula containing two variables and one constraint condition into an unconstrained extreme value problem containing three variables; performing quadratic optimization on the unconstrained extreme value problem and transforming the unconstrained extreme value problem into a minimization problem formula; setting a convergence condition according to the minimization problem formula, updating three of the variables in the minimization problem formula, and stopping iteration until the preset convergence condition is met; wherein a final calculation result is peak values of two spectral axial response signals when sto

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to apparatuses, systems, and methods for range peak pairing and high accuracy target tracking using frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LiDAR). A laser source may illuminate a target with a first laser chirp pair during a first time period and a second laser chirp pair during a second time period. Based on the configuration of the chirps between the pairs and within the pairs, properties of the target may be determined. For example, range estimates may be made based on each chirp pair, and those estimates may be averaged to cancel out a Doppler shift error. In another example, the Doppler shift may be determined, which may increase the accuracy of a range measurement and/or be used to identify which peaks are associated with a given target.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for fugitive emission determinations are provided. An example imaging system includes a first infrared (IR) imaging device configured to generate first IR image data of a field of view of the first IR imaging device that include one or more data entries associated with a fugitive emission from an emission source. The system further includes a computing device operably connected with the first IR imaging device and configured to receive the first IR image data from the first IR imaging device, generate spectral absorption data based on the first IR image data, and determine a gas amount associated with the fugitive emission based upon the spectral absorption data. The computing device also determines a leak rate and leak duration of the fugitive emission based upon the determined gas amount and determines a total emission loss based on the same.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for determining gas flux measurements. A gas plume may be emitted from a source and may be blown by wind in an environment. A measurement system, such as a light detection and ranging (lidar) system may collect a plurality of gas concentration measurements associated with the gas plume at a plurality of locations in the environment. A gas flux may be determined based on one or more of the gas concentration measurements along with a wind speed at a location associated with the gas plume. In some embodiments, a height of the gas plume may be determined, and the wind speed at the height of the gas plume may be determined and used to determine the gas flux.