Abstract: An optical system capable of routing primary and secondary high power lasers through a blocking switch is described.

Abstract: A system includes a network having multiple network nodes each configured for free-space optical communication. Each network node includes one or more apertures through which optical beams are transmitted and received over optical links. The optical links include (i) a traffic link that transports higher-rate traffic between nodes and (ii) an acquisition/tracking link that transports lower-rate signals used to establish and maintain location knowledge of other nodes. Each network node also includes a network processor configured to determine one or more backup paths through the network. Each network node further includes a beam steering unit configured to redirect an optical beam from the traffic link onto the acquisition/tracking link to create a backup traffic link.

Abstract: A transmissive liquid crystal (LC) control structure comprising: a superstrate (44) having a first surface (44a) having a GaN HEMT structure disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said superstrate; a substrate (42) having a first surface disposed over and spaced apart from the first surface of said superstrate and having a GaN HEMT structure (43) disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said substrate and wherein the GaN HEMT structure on one of the superstrate and substrate surfaces are patterned into individual electrodes; a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) (48) disposed in the space between the first surface of said superstrate and the first surface of said substrate; and a control circuit coupled to the individual electrodes.

Abstract: A steerable laser transmitter uses a two-stage architecture for beam steering. A LCWG is used to provide continuous fine steering and a PG stack is used to provide discrete coarse steering. An optical amplifier is inserted between the LCWG and the PG stack to provide gain and increase transmitter power, hence range. The LCWG is configured to limit its steering range to the acceptance angle of the optical amplifier, at most ±2°×±2°. The result is a high-power laser transmitter that can be rapidly and precisely steered over a large FOR.

Abstract: An optical switch (10) is capable of routing a high-power beam incident at one or more input ports (12) of the optical switch to either of two or more output ports (14,16), the optical switch comprising: at least one switching stage, each of the at least one switching stages comprising: a switchable high-power liquid crystal (LC) half-wave plate (HWP), oriented with its fast axis at 45° to an input polarization direction such that in response to an incident polarized laser beam provided to said switchable high-power liquid crystal, half-wave plate, said HWP acts as a polarization rotator; and a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed in an optical path to intercept light signals output from said switchable high-power liquid crystal (LC) half wave plate (HWP).

Abstract: An optical system capable of routing primary and secondary high power lasers through a blocking switch is described.

Abstract: An optical switch (10) is capable of routing a high-power beam incident at one or more input ports (12) of the optical switch to either of two or more output ports (14,16), the optical switch comprising: at least one switching stage, each of the at least one switching stages comprising: a switchable high-power liquid crystal (LC) half-wave plate (HWP), oriented with its fast axis at 45° to an input polarization direction such that in response to an incident polarized laser beam provided to said switchable high-power liquid crystal, half-wave plate, said HWP acts as a polarization rotator; and a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) disposed in an optical path to intercept light signals output from said switchable high-power liquid crystal (LC) half wave plate (HWP).

Abstract: A transmissive liquid crystal (LC) control structure comprising: a superstrate (44) having a first surface (44a) having a GaN HEMT structure disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said superstrate; a substrate (42) having a first surface disposed over and spaced apart from the first surface of said superstrate and having a GaN HEMT structure (43) disposed thereon to provide a conductor on the first surface of said substrate and wherein the GaN HEMT structure on one of the superstrate and substrate surfaces are patterned into individual electrodes; a polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) (48) disposed in the space between the first surface of said superstrate and the first surface of said substrate; and a control circuit coupled to the individual electrodes.

Abstract: A structure having first and second electrical conductors disposed on a surface of the structure and a bridging conductor connected between the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor with portions disposed over the surface of the structure. The bridging conductor includes a plurality of stacked, multi-metal layers, each one of the multi-metal layers having: an electrically conductive layer; and a pair of barrier metal layers, the electrically conductive layer being disposed between and in direct contact with the pair of barrier metal layers.

Abstract: A beam director system configured to steer an optical beam over a hyper-hemispherical field of regard. In one example a beam director includes a pre-director configured to steer an optical beam over a first field of regard, and a beam angle magnifier that includes a beam directing apparatus and a field-of-regard switch, the beam angle magnifier configured to expand the first field of regard to a second field of regard larger than the first field of regard, wherein the beam directing apparatus is configured to receive the optical beam from the pre-director and to alter a pointing direction of the optical beam, and the field-of-regard switch configured to receive the optical beam from the beam directing apparatus, and to direct the optical beam into one of first and second bands of coverage within the second field of regard. The beam angle magnifier may be disposed within a rotatable housing.

Abstract: A system includes a network having multiple network nodes each configured for free-space optical communication. Each network node includes one or more apertures through which optical beams are transmitted and received over optical links. The optical links include (i) a traffic link that transports higher-rate traffic between nodes and (ii) an acquisition/tracking link that transports lower-rate signals used to establish and maintain location knowledge of other nodes. Each network node also includes a network processor configured to determine one or more backup paths through the network. Each network node further includes a beam steering unit configured to redirect an optical beam from the traffic link onto the acquisition/tracking link to create a backup traffic link.

Abstract: A stack of polarization gratings each having a grating pitch, the stack having a first end and a second end and, the polarization grating stack including N stages wherein one or more of the N stages in the stack comprise a first set of gratings which direct an incident beam through angles lying substantially in a first plane and one or more of the N stages in the stack comprise a second set of gratings which direct an incident beam through angles lying substantially in a second, different, plane lying at an angle relative to the first plane and wherein each of the N stages provide one of a plurality of deflection angles and wherein the N stages are arranged such that a stage having the smallest deflection angle is nearest the first end of the stack and a stage having the largest deflection angle is nearest the second end of the stack and wherein the deflection angles of the gratings in each set are chosen such that the grating pitch of each grating is at least one of: substantially twice the grating pitch of

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accounting for phase differences in a transmit path of an optical system is provided. A transmit control system nullifies phase errors in signals propagating from a coherent source to phase samplers and back to a transmitter sensor. A small time-dependent length modulation is applied to a feed fiber of each aperture and this modulation enables a hill-climbing servo loop to increase, or in some cases even maximize, a detected intensity. This results in a particular relationship between the phases at all the phase-sampling points. The optical system is then calibrated so that this relationship corresponds to in-phase beams when the optical system is aimed at boresight.

Abstract: Described herein is the use of a fast-scanning optical phase array (OPA) within an electronic beam-steering-based aperture.

Abstract: A space-time division multiple-access (STDMA) laser communications (lasercom) system and related techniques. The STDMA system includes a plurality of remote nodes and an STDMA access node which uses precise electronic beam steering and beacons to provide access to each of a plurality of remote access nodes by means of both space and time-division multiple access.

Abstract: A space-time division multiple-access (STDMA) laser communications (lasercom) system and related techniques. The STDMA system includes a plurality of remote nodes and an STDMA access node which uses precise electronic beam steering and beacons to provide access to each of a plurality of remote access nodes by means of both space and time-division multiple access.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accounting for phase differences in a transmit path of an optical system is provided. A transmit control system nullifies phase errors in signals propagating from a coherent source to phase samplers and back to a transmitter sensor. A small time-dependent length modulation is applied to a feed fiber of each aperture and this modulation enables a hill-climbing servo loop to increase, or in some cases even maximize, a detected intensity. This results in a particular relationship between the phases at all the phase-sampling points. The optical system is then calibrated so that this relationship corresponds to in-phase beams when the optical system is aimed at boresight.

Abstract: An optical diplexer having a birefringent crystal for providing substantially a whole number of wavelength retardation to first optical energy having said first polarization type, and having a first wavelength, fed to a first end of said crystal, and exiting a second end of said crystal with said first polarization type and said first wavelength and for providing substantially an odd integer number of half wavelength retardation to second optical energy having said first polarization type, having a second wavelength, fed to said second end of said crystal and exiting said first end of said crystal with said second polarization type and said second wavelength. The system includes an electronically actuated polarization aligner for adjusting phase retardation of the second energy fed to the second end of the crystal prior to such second energy entering the second end of the birefringent crystal.

Abstract: A beam steering system having first diffraction gratings, each one being associated with a corresponding one of a first plurality of grating vectors disposed substantially in a first plane. The gratings diffract optical energy from any one of a plurality of input directions of resonance to a corresponding one of a plurality of output directions. Second diffraction gratings are associated with a second plurality of grating vectors disposed substantially in a second plane. Each one of the second gratings diffracts optical energy from any one of a plurality of input directions of resonance to a corresponding one of a plurality of output directions.

Abstract: An optical communication system having nodes that include add/drop units. The add/drop unit includes: a network input port for receiving optical energy having a plurality of different wavelengths from other nodes in the network; a network output port for coupling to destination nodes in the network; an add port for receiving optical energy having the plurality of different wavelengths from a local source for transmission to other nodes in the network; and a drop node for receiving optical energy from other nodes in the network for local processing. A wavelength demultiplexer is included to separate the plurality of wavelengths received by the network input port so that the electronically controllable beam steerer can process them individually. A wavelength multiplexer is included to combine the plurality of wavelengths received from the electronically controlled beam steerer for delivery to the network output port for transmission to other nodes in the network.