Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a light-receiving unit, a histogram acquiring unit, and an operation unit. The light-receiving unit receives reflected light from a distance measurement target. The reflected light is based on irradiation light from a light-emitting unit. The histogram acquiring unit acquires a histogram indicating the frequency of reception of the reflected light at the light-receiving unit. The operation unit calculates a distance to the distance measurement target on the basis of a time corresponding to a peak of the histogram acquired by the histogram acquiring unit. The operation unit corrects the distance calculated on the basis of the time corresponding to the peak of the histogram on the basis of the shape of the histogram acquired by the histogram acquiring unit.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system detects a speed of a vehicle. A backscatter light generated in response to transmitting a laser beam into an atmosphere during movement of the vehicle is received. A first beat frequency from interfering a first portion of the backscatter light with a reference light derived from the laser beam is measured. A time delay is introduced to a second portion of the backscatter light to form a time delayed backscatter light. A second beat frequency from interfering the time delayed backscatter light with the reference light is measured. The second beat frequency is time delayed from the first beat frequency. A difference between the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency is determined. The speed of the vehicle using the difference between the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency is determined.

Abstract: A ranging sensor includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element, a first storage node and a second storage node that store charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion element, a first transfer gate and a second transfer gate connected to the photoelectric conversion element so as to branch and transfer the charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element to different paths, a third transfer gate connected between the first storage node and the first transfer gate, a fourth transfer gate connected between the second storage node and the second transfer gate, a fifth transfer gate connected between the first storage node and the second transfer gate, and a sixth transfer gate connected between the second storage node and the first transfer gate, the ranging sensor including a transfer gate drive unit that drives each of the first to sixth transfer gates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a mobile terminal including a lighting unit, and a control method therefor. The mobile terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a lighting unit having a plurality of light sources; a sensor unit for receiving light outputted from the lighting unit and reflected off a subject; and a control unit for synchronizing, through the sensor unit, areas at which lights outputted from the plurality of light sources are emitted, and controlling, on the basis of preset conditions, the lighting unit so that at least one of the plurality of light sources emits light.

Abstract: A temperature controller is used for a gain fiber of a fiber amplifier. The controller includes a heat transfer structure and one or more temperature sinks, such as cooling plates. The heat transfer structure supports the gain fiber and is disposed in thermal contact with it. Portions of the temperature sink(s) are disposed in different thermal conductivity with sections of the heat transfer structure. For example, the sinks may have different material properties and/or material thicknesses. Also, portions of the temperature sink(s) can have different cooling rates. The different thermal conductivities conduct the heat from parts of the gain fiber differently from one another. In the end, an onset of Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) on the laser light path can be mitigated by conducting heat from the gain fiber with the different thermal conductivities.

Abstract: An optical amplifier according to the present disclosure includes a first excitation light coupler, a first optical amplification medium, a first optical switch configured to output the optical communication signal output from the first optical amplification medium to either a first branch path HGP or a second branch path, and a second optical switch configured to transmit the optical communication signal transmitted through the branch path to downstream, and the first branch HGP path includes a second optical amplification medium, a second excitation light coupler configured to synthesize the optical communication signal and the excitation light directed towards the second optical amplification medium, and a first gain equalizer, and the second branch path includes a third excitation coupler configured to synthesize the optical communication signal and the excitation light directed towards the first optical switch, and a second gain equalizer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dual-polarized Lidar receiving end based on an optical chip, including a module for receiving reflected light, a module for receiving local oscillator light, a plurality of frequency mixers, a plurality of detectors and a plurality of variable optical attenuators. The Lidar receiving end according to the present invention can receive and process two optical signals in an orthogonal polarization state. Compared with the existing Lidar design solution, a system on chip based on the optical chip according to the present invention implements monolithic integration of massive devices, and has the advantages of high stability, small volume and low weight and costs, and the like. It is relatively easy to increase a quantity of channels at the receiving end designed according to the present invention.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes a beam combining component to combine a first optical beam including a first polarization and a second optical beam including a second polarization into a single spatial mode optical beam, and a first beam splitting component to split the single spatial mode optical beam into a plurality of single spatial mode optical beams.

Abstract: There is provided continuous wave time of flight, CW-ToF, camera system comprising: one or more lasers for outputting laser light; one or more imaging sensors, the one or more image sensors each comprising a plurality of imaging pixels for accumulating charge based on incident light comprising reflected laser light off a first surface of an object; and a distance determination system coupled to the one or more imaging sensors.

Abstract: A method and device for determining distances to a scene determines a laser light pulse width PW that is smaller than a maximum time of flight TOFmax corresponding to a maximum distance Dmax by using a pulse width reduction factor N such that PW=(TOFmax?TDL)/N wherein TDL is a predefined delay window, determines a pulse frequency FP such that FP?1/((N+1)×PW+TDL), illuminates the scene with an illuminating pattern comprising a plurality of spatially separated pulsed laser beams having the determined pulse width and frequency, performs the detection as function of time during a detection time period TD divided in M=?×(N+1) consecutive detection time windows, with ??1, such that TD=M×(PW/?), identifies in what detection time windows reflected laser light is detected, and calculates a distance to the scene based on this identification.

Abstract: A sensor system comprises a LiDAR unit having an emitter for laser light having a wavelength of 900 nm to 1600 nm and a receiver for light over a wavelength range which is between 800 nm and 1600 nm and at least partly below the operating wavelength of the LiDAR sensor and a cover having a substrate layer made of thermoplastic material which is arranged such that IR light emitted by the LiDAR unit and received by the LiDAR unit passes through the cover.

Abstract: A gas laser amplifier includes a housing, discharge electrode pairs, and an optical resonator. The housing includes an entrance window that allows entry of a first laser beam from outside and an exit window that allows exit of the first laser beam amplified. Each of the discharge electrode pairs excites a laser gas supplied between discharge electrodes facing each other in the housing. The optical resonator causes a second laser beam to oscillate with a gain of the excited laser gas in a non-incident state where the first laser beam from outside the housing does not enter the housing through the entrance window. In an incident state where the first laser beam enters the housing through the entrance window, the optical resonator suspends the oscillation of the second laser beam.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for flight velocimetry employing at least one bleaching laser, at least one detection laser, at least one dichroic mirror, an objective, a detection system, and a nano stage to bleach a dye to form a bleached blot in a flow pathway.

Abstract: To suppress the deterioration of signal quality in an optical signal, a LiDAR device comprises: a signal output means 20 for outputting a first electric signal in a first period, reducing the amplitude of the first electric signal outside the first period, and then outputting a second electric signal; a modulator 30 which outputs an optical signal modulated on the basis of the first electric signal or the second electric signal; and a control means 40 for applying, to the modulator 30, a bias voltage based on the optical signal modulated on the basis of the first electric signal.

Abstract: A sub-nanosecond laser system is disclosed. The sub-nanosecond laser system may include: a pump laser source operable to generate a pump laser beam having a pump wavelength; a first pump beam splitter operable to receive the pump laser beam and split the pump laser beam into at least a first split pump laser beam and a second split pump laser beam; a passively Q-switched seed laser operable to receive the first split pump laser beam and generate a seed laser beam; and an amplifier assembly operable to receive the second split pump laser beam and the seed laser beam. The amplifier assembly may include one or more amplifiers arranged in series in a multi-stage configuration, arranged in a multi-pass configuration, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor system may include a laser source configured to generate a beam, an electronic module, and one or more processors. The electronic module may generate, based on the beam, an optical signal that is frequency-shifted by a frequency offset relative to a local oscillator (LO) signal. The electronic module may control a transmitter to transmit the optical signal to an environment. In response to transmitting the optical signal, the electronic module may receive a returned optical signal that is reflected from an object in the environment. The electronic module may generate a digital signal based on the received signal. The electronic module may digitally mix the digital signal based on the frequency offset to generate a sample signal. The one or more processors may determine, based on the sample signal, a range to the object.

Abstract: An optical amplifier comprises a gain medium having an input surface and an output surface wherein the output surface is larger than the input surface. The gain medium may be frustum shaped. The optical amplifier includes a negative diverging lens to receive an extraction laser beam and to cause the laser beam to expand as the beam passes through the gain medium. The amplifier further comprises a positive collimating lens configured to receive the expanding amplified beam and reduce the divergence. The gain medium can be pumped by counter-propagating radiation. The fluence of the laser beam within the gain medium is configured to be near constant along the length of the gain medium and may be within 1.5-2.0 FSAT. The gain medium may be doped with dopant to provide gain, with larger concentration of dopants proximal the input surface and smaller concentration proximal the output surface.

Abstract: The FMCW LiDAR system includes an optical drive electronic circuit to receive a reference frequency signal and a beat frequency signal to generate a drive signal. The optical drive electronic circuit includes a TDC to calculate a phase difference between the reference frequency signal and the beat frequency signal and a digital ramp control to: provided the phase difference is a positive value, produce a ramp down control signal to increase a current chirp rate to an increased chirp rate; provided the phase difference is a negative value, produce a ramp up control signal to decrease the current chirp rate to a decreased chirp rate. The optical drive electronic circuit includes a digital integrator to generate a digital output based on at least one of the ramp down control signal or the ramp up control signal and a DAC to convert the digital output to an analog output.

Abstract: The light wave distance meter is disclosed, including: a distance measuring light-emitting unit; a light-receiving signal generating unit; and a control arithmetic unit. A light-receiving signal includes a first intermittent light-receiving signal corresponding to a first distance measuring light, a second intermittent light-receiving signal corresponding to a second distance measuring light, a third intermittent light-receiving signal corresponding to a third distance measuring light, and a fourth intermittent light-receiving signal corresponding to a fourth distance measuring light. The control arithmetic unit executes an error determination control to acquire a shift signal generated by shifting at least a phase of any one of the first to fourth intermittent light-receiving signals by 2?·n??/2 or 2?·n+?/2, and compares the phase of the shift signal and the phase of the intermittent light-receiving signal at least between either the first frequencies or between the second frequencies.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of tracking a target on an orbital trajectory by a spacecraft, the method comprising an acquisition phase which comprises the steps of activating a lidar, acquiring signals from the lidar system, determining target trajectory data from the lidar signals, wherein the spacecraft is engaged on a trajectory to approach or inspect the target, which trajectory is determined based on the target trajectory data, and if the target is no longer detected, activating a short-range detection phase, comprising activation of a wide-field radar.