Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a semiconductor optical amplifier including a semiconductor-based gain medium configured to receive a drive current and a variable-width waveguide coupled to the in the semiconductor-based gain medium, the variable-width waveguide including a plurality of narrow width regions and a plurality of wide width regions positioned alternately along a longitudinal axis of the waveguide. The variable-width waveguide further includes a plurality of transition regions having an adiabatically varying widths. Each transition region connects adjacent ones of the plurality of narrow width and width regions and the waveguide has a reduced drive current density in the plurality of wide width regions relative to the drive current density in the plurality of narrow width regions.

Abstract: Free-space optics for use in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus include a polarization beam-splitter (PBS) to direct an optical beam in a first direction toward a target environment and to propagate a portion of the optical beam in a second direction for receipt by a photodetector (PD), a polarization wave plate (PWP) to convert the optical beam from a first polarization to a second polarization, and to convert the target return signal from a third polarization to a fourth polarization, and a lens system coupled between the PBS and the PWP to magnify the optical beam. The propagated portion of the optical beam comprises a local oscillator (LO) signal to mix with a target return signal to generate target information.

Abstract: There is provided a distance measurement device including a light source, a light detector, a time control circuit and a processor. In first measurement, the time control circuit controls the light source to illuminate at a low modulation frequency, and the processor calculates a rough flying time according to a first detection signal of the light detector to determine an operating phase zone and a delay time. In second measurement, the time control circuit controls the light source to illuminate at a high modulation frequency and causes a light driving signal of the light source and a detecting control signal of the light detector to have a difference of the delay time, and the processor calculates a fine flying time according to a second detection signal of the light detector.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for a vehicle can include: a light source configured to output a transmit beam at a first orientation; a reflective surface configured to redirect the transmit beam from the first orientation to a second orientation; and a lens interface configured to receive the transmit beam at the first orientation and focus the transmit beam onto the reflective surface; wherein the LIDAR system emits the transmit beam at the second orientation into an environment of the LIDAR system.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a light source system suitable for use in a time of flight camera. The light source system includes a light source, such as a laser, and a driver arranged to supply a drive current to the light source to turn the light source on to emit light. The driver includes or is coupled to a capacitor to store energy and then discharge to generate the drive current. The driver can be integrated into a semiconductor die on which the light source is mounted. Thus, the driver can include within it the source of energy for the drive current and the light source and driver can be very close together. Therefore, the light source may be turned on and off very quickly, such as with a relatively large drive current, such as to output a high optical power, short duration light pulse.

Abstract: An object is to provide a detection apparatus, a determination method, and a program capable of distinguishing a natural object from a structure and thereby detecting the natural object. A detection apparatus (10) according to the present disclosure includes a calculation unit (11) configured to calculate a normal vector for each point included in point-group data indicating a distance to an object to be determined by using the point-group data, and a determination unit (12) configured to determine whether the object to be determined is a natural object or not by using a distribution state of at least either horizontal components of the normal vectors or vertical components thereof.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present application disclose a photonic chip module, a LiDAR and a movable device. The photonic chip module includes a photonic chip and a reflection module. The photonic chip includes a plurality of transceiving waveguide modules. A plurality of accommodating grooves are provided on a first surface of the photonic chip. The reflection module has a plurality of reflecting surfaces, and each reflecting surface is arranged at intervals along the second preset direction. The reflection surface is used to reflect the detection light so that the detection light is emitted in a direction that is not perpendicular to the thickness direction. The photonic chip module is conducive to improving the detection field of view of the LiDAR under the condition of the same resolution, or improving the resolution under the condition of the same total detection field of view.

Abstract: A light source apparatus is provided with the emission section in which a plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser light-emitting elements is arrayed, the driving circuit section that causes the plurality of light-emitting elements of the emission section to emit light, the temperature detection section that includes a plurality of temperature sensors arranged to detect the temperature of the emission section, and a control section. The control section is configured to, during an emission target period when the light-emitting elements of the emission section are driven by the driving circuit section, correct a detection value from each of the plurality of temperature sensors by using a correction value set for each of the temperature sensors.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for monostatic pulsed time-resolved wide-field-of-view underwater laser imaging. In embodiments, a rotatable optical assembly consisting of a single pyramid mirror and optical ports for each facet is used to both direct a transmitted pulsed laser beam to a target and focus the return signal to a high dynamic range detector, such as a photomultiplier tube, The detector output signal is sampled by a high-speed digitizer and can be processed to generate three-dimensional images.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a stray light suppression device for bathymetric LiDAR onboard unmanned shipborne, belonging to the technical field of LiDAR water depth detection, particularly to a stray light suppression device for bathymetric LiDAR onboard unmanned shipborne. The device comprises an optical system component, a first objective lens barrel, a second objective lens barrel, a spectroscope barrel, a first eyepiece barrel a, a first eyepiece barrel b, a second eyepiece barrel a, a second eyepiece barrel b, a PMT detector a, a PMT detector b and a spectroscope supporting structure. Stray light suppression of an optical system with minimal field-of-view is realized, and stray light propagated by first-order, second-order and third-order scattered light paths is suppressed, so that a water depth detection capability of the bathymetric LiDAR onboard unmanned shipborne is improved and a dynamic detection range is expanded.

Abstract: Methods and systems for combining return signals from multiple channels of a LIDAR measurement system are described herein. In one aspect, the outputs of multiple receive channels are electrically coupled before input to a single channel of an analog to digital converter. In another aspect, a DC offset voltage is provided at the output of each transimpedance amplifier of each receive channel to improve measured signal quality. In another aspect, a bias voltage supplied to each photodetector of each receive channel is adjusted based on measured temperature to save power and improve measurement consistency. In another aspect, a bias voltage supplied to each illumination source of each transmit channel is adjusted based on measured temperature. In another aspect, a multiplexer is employed to multiplex multiple sets of output signals of corresponding sets of receive channels before analog to digital conversion.

Abstract: Depth sensing apparatus includes a radiation source, which emits a first array of beams of light pulses through a window toward a target scene. Objective optics image the target scene onto a second array of sensing elements, which output signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons. A first calibration, which associates the beams in the first array with respective first locations on the second array onto which the beams reflected from the target scene are imaged, is used in processing the signals in order to measure respective times of flight of the light pulses. A second calibration indicates second locations on which stray radiation is incident on the second array due to reflection of the beams from the window. Upon detecting a change in the second locations relative to the second calibration, the first calibration is corrected so as to compensate for the detected change.

Abstract: Provided is a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) apparatus including a light source configured to generate light, an optical transmitter configured to emit the light generated by the light source to outside of the LiDAR apparatus, an optical receiver configured to receive light from the outside of the LiDAR apparatus, a resonance-type photodetector configured to selectively amplify and detect light having a same wavelength as a wavelength of light generated by the light source among the light received by the optical receiver, and a processor configured to control the light source and the resonance-type photodetector, wherein the resonance-type photodetector includes a resonator, a phase modulator provided on the resonator and configured to control a phase of light traveling along the resonator based on control of the processor, and an optical detector configured to detect an intensity of the light traveling along the resonator.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at radiating a linear light beam without distortion regardless of an incident angle of the scanning light beam in an optical module that irradiates a target object with a light beam and detects the reflected light. In an optical module of the present invention, an optical scanning unit (150) causes the light beam to scan in a predetermined direction (perpendicular direction). An optical conversion unit (161) converts the scanning light beam into a linear light beam in a linear direction (horizontal direction) substantially orthogonal to the scanning direction. A light detection unit (180) detects reflected light, which is the linear light beam reflected from a target object.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for occlusion detection. An example system includes a primary reflective surface and a rotatable mirror configured to rotate about a rotational axis. The rotatable mirror includes a plurality of secondary reflective surfaces. The system also includes an optical element and a camera that is configured to capture at least one image of the optical element by way of the primary reflective surface and at least one secondary reflective surface of the rotatable mirror.

Abstract: Provided are an F-P sensor probe, an absolute distance measurement device, and an absolute distance measurement method, which relate to the field of non-contact absolute distance measurement technologies. This structure includes a first N+1-core multimode optical fiber probe (9), an optical fiber sleeve (10), an imaging lens group (11), and a reference lens (12), wherein: the first N+1-core multimode optical fiber probe (9), the imaging lens group (11), and the reference lens (12) are sequentially fixed inside the optical fiber sleeve (10) along a direction of the F-P sensor probe toward a sample (8); and the first N+1-core multimode optical fiber probe (9) includes N first multimode optical fibers (16) and one second multimode optical fiber (17), where N?2, and the N first multimode optical fibers (16) are arranged around the second multimode optical fiber (17).

Abstract: A return signal from a target is received based on an optical beam from an optical source of a LiDAR system. The return signal is sampled and converted to a frequency domain, where the return signal comprises a first frequency waveform. A matched filter is selected, where the matched filter comprises a second frequency waveform to match the first frequency waveform. The matched filter is updated by updating a set of coefficients of the second frequency waveform. The return signal is filtered by the updated matched filter to generate a filtered return signal to extract range and velocity information of the target.

Abstract: A method of operating a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor including at least one depth pixel having a multi-tap structure and a light source illuminating a transmission light to an object is provided. An operation mode of a ToF sensor is determined among a distance detection mode to sense a distance to an object and a plurality of additional operation modes. A plurality of taps of a depth pixel and a light source are controlled based on the determined operation mode such that the plurality of taps generate a plurality of sample data corresponding to the determined operation mode. A sensing result corresponding to the selected operation mode is determined based on the plurality of sample data. A plurality of functions, in addition to a function of the ToF sensor to measure a distance to an object, may be performed efficiently by controlling the plurality of taps of the depth pixel and the light source depending on the operation modes.

Abstract: An example method and system for filtering point cloud data includes obtaining point cloud data from a LIDAR device. The point cloud data may include at least a first pulse-length range and a second pulse-length range. The first range may include one or more first-length pulses and the second range may include one or more second-length pulses. The method may further include filtering the point cloud data by determining respective magnitudes of each of the one or more first-length pulses and each of the one or more second-length pulses, comparing the magnitudes of the first-length pulses to a first threshold, comparing the magnitudes of the second-length pulses to a second threshold, and removing any pulses having a magnitude less than the respective thresholds. The method may further include determining, based on the filtered point cloud data, objects in an environment around the LIDAR.

Abstract: A time of flight sensor includes a time of flight (TOF) processor having a digital TOF port, a digital input port, and a digital output port, the TOF processor comprising a phase detector including cyclically rotating demultiplexer (DEMUX), a first summer coupled to a first DEMUX output, a second summer coupled to a second DEMUX output, a third summer coupled to a third DEMUX output, a fourth summer coupled to a fourth DEMUX output, and a phase estimator coupled to outputs of the first summer, the second summer, the third summer and the fourth summer and having a phase estimate output; a driver having a digital driver port coupled to the digital TOF port and a driver output port; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) having an output port coupled to the digital input port of the digital TOF processor.