Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an integrated spectral unit including a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) interferometer fabricated within a first substrate and a light redirecting structure integrated on a second substrate, where the second substrate is coupled to the first substrate. The light redirecting structure includes at least one mirror for receiving an input light beam propagating in an out-of-plane direction with respect to the first substrate and redirecting the input light beam to an in-plane direction with respect to the first substrate towards the MEMS interferometer.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to an integrated spectral unit including a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) interferometer fabricated within a first substrate and a light redirecting structure integrated on a second substrate, where the second substrate is coupled to the first substrate. The light redirecting structure includes at least one mirror for receiving an input light beam propagating in an out-of-plane direction with respect to the first substrate and redirecting the input light beam to an in-plane direction with respect to the first substrate towards the MEMS interferometer.

Abstract: An integrated apertured micromirror is provided in which the micromirror is monolithically integrated with a micro-optical bench fabricated on a substrate using a lithographic and deep etching technique. The micromirror has an aperture therein and is oriented such that the micromirror is optically coupled to receive an incident beam having an optical axis in a plane of the substrate and to at least partially transmit the incident beam therethrough via the aperture.

Abstract: An optical rotation sensor includes a Fabry Perot laser having an active gain medium for generating first and second light beams, a closed optical path through which the first and second light beams counter-propagate and first and second mirrors coupled to respective ends of the closed optical path. The first minor is a ring mirror having a complex valued reflectivity that varies with a rotation rate of a frame within which the optical rotation sensor is placed. A detector is coupled to an output of the Fabry Perot laser to measure an output intensity thereof.

Abstract: Optical systems with aspherical optical elements are described. The aspherical optical elements have surfaces in which the in-plane radius of curvature spatially varies and the in-plane cross section surface profile is characterized in that the multiplication of the cosine of the incidence angle raised to a non-zero exponent by the in-plane radius of curvature varies less than twenty percent between any two points on the in-plane cross section surface profile.

Abstract: An optical rotation sensor includes a Fabry Perot laser having an active gain medium for generating first and second light beams, a closed optical path through which the first and second light beams counter-propagate and first and second mirrors coupled to respective ends of the closed optical path. The first minor is a ring mirror having a complex valued reflectivity that varies with a rotation rate of a frame within which the optical rotation sensor is placed. A detector is coupled to an output of the Fabry Perot laser to measure an output intensity thereof.

Abstract: A MEMS-based swept laser source is formed from two coupled cavities. The first cavity includes a first mirror and a fully reflective moveable minor and operates to tune the output wavelength of the laser. The second cavity is optically coupled to the first cavity and includes an active gain medium, the first mirror and a second mirror. The second cavity further has a length substantially greater than the first cavity such that there are multiple longitudinal modes of the second cavity within a transmission bandwidth of the first cavity output.

Abstract: A spatial splitting-based optical Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Interferometer includes a spatial splitter for spatially splitting an input beam into two interferometer beams and a spatial combiner for spatially combining the two interferometer beams. A MEMS moveable mirror is provided to produce an optical path difference between the first interferometer beam and the second interferometer beam.

Abstract: An integrated apertured micromirror is provided in which the micromirror is monolithically integrated with a micro-optical bench fabricated on a substrate using a lithographic and deep etching technique. The micromirror has an aperture therein and is oriented such that the micromirror is optically coupled to receive an incident beam having an optical axis in a plane of the substrate and to at least partially transmit the incident beam therethrough via the aperture.

Abstract: A spatial splitting-based optical Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Interferometer includes a spatial splitter for spatially splitting an input beam into two interferometer beams and a spatial combiner for spatially combining the two interferometer beams. A MEMS moveable mirror is provided to produce an optical path difference between the first interferometer beam and the second interferometer beam.

Abstract: Optical systems with aspherical optical elements are described. The aspherical optical elements have surfaces in which the in-plane radius of curvature spatially varies and the in-plane cross section surface profile is characterized in that the multiplication of the cosine of the incidence angle raised to a non-zero exponent by the in-plane radius of curvature varies less than twenty percent between any two points on the in-plane cross section surface profile.