Patents by Inventor Michael G. Moebius

Michael G. Moebius has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10838150
    Abstract: A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Byrnes, Steven J. Spector, Francis J. Rogomentich, Matthew A. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 10837755
    Abstract: A multi-beam optical phased array on a single planar waveguide layer or a small number of planar waveguide layers enables building an optical sensor that performs much like a significantly larger telescope. Imaging systems use planar waveguides created using micro-lithographic techniques. These imagers are variants of “phased arrays,” common and familiar from microwave radar applications. However, there are significant differences when these same concepts are applied to visible and infrared light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Lane, Steven J. Spector, Alan X. Zhou, Julian A. Brown, Michael G. Moebius
  • Patent number: 10823913
    Abstract: MEMS-actuated optical switches can be implemented on photonic chips. These switches are compact, essentially planar, simple to implement and include only one moving MEMS component per switch. The switches exhibit low optical loss, require low power to operate, and are simple to control and easy to integrate with other optical devices. Each switch has two optical waveguides that are optically coupled in an ON switch state and not coupled in an OFF switch state. An end or a medial section of one of the two waveguides may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling. Alternatively, a coupling frustrator may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Eugene H. Cook, Jonathan J. Bernstein
  • Patent number: 10795235
    Abstract: An electro-holographic light field generator device is disclosed. The light field generator device has an optical substrate with a waveguide face and an exit face. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulator devices are included within each light field generator device. The SAW devices each include a light input, a waveguide, and a SAW transducer, all configured for guided mode confinement of input light within the waveguide. A leaky mode deflection of a portion of the waveguided light, or diffractive light, impinges upon the exit face. Multiple output optics at the exit face are configured for developing from each of the output optics a radiated exit light from the diffracted light for at least one of the waveguides. An RF controller is configured to control the SAW devices to develop the radiated exit light as a three-dimensional output light field with horizontal parallax and compatible with observer vertical motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Ian W. Frank, Steven J. Byrnes, Juha-Pekka J. Laine, Gregg E. Favalora, Joseph J. Register, Dennis M. Callahan, Michael G. Moebius
  • Patent number: 10731964
    Abstract: A multi-beam optical phased array on a single planar waveguide layer or a small number of planar waveguide layers enables building an optical sensor that performs much like a significantly larger telescope. Imaging systems use planar waveguides created using micro-lithographic techniques. These imagers are variants of “phased arrays,” common and familiar from microwave radar applications. However, there are significant differences when these same concepts are applied to visible and infrared light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Lane, Steven J. Spector, Alan X. Zhou, Julian A. Brown, Michael G. Moebius
  • Patent number: 10684420
    Abstract: A steerable optical transmit and receive terminal includes a MEMS-based N×1 optical switch network. Each optical switch in the optical switch network uses an electrostatic MEMS structure to selectively position a translatable optical grating close to or far from an optical waveguide. In the close (“ON”) position, light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide, whereas in the far (“OFF”) position, no appreciable light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide. The translatable optical grating is disposed at or near a surface of the optical switch network. Thus, the translatable optical grating emits light into, or receives light from, free space. The steerable optical transmit and receive terminal also includes a lens and can steer a free space optical beam in a direction determined by which port of the N×1 optical switch network is ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius, Benjamin F. Lane, Gregg E. Favalora
  • Publication number: 20200150241
    Abstract: A LiDAR system has a field of view and includes a polarization-based waveguide splitter. The splitter includes a first splitter port, a second splitter port and a common splitter port. A laser is optically coupled to the first splitter port via a single-polarization waveguide. An objective lens optically couples each optical emitter of an array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view. An optical switching network is coupled via respective dual-polarization waveguides between the common splitter port and the array of optical emitters. An optical receiver is optically coupled to the second splitter port via a dual-polarization waveguide and is configured to receive light reflected from the field of view. A controller, coupled to the optical switching network, is configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a temporal pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Steven J. Byrnes, Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius
  • Publication number: 20200132849
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox
  • Publication number: 20200136340
    Abstract: A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector, Steven J. Byrnes, Christopher Bessette, Scott Evan Lennox, Matthew A. Sinclair, Francis J. Rogomentich
  • Patent number: 10636918
    Abstract: A single photon detection circuit is described that includes a germanium photodiode that is configured with zero voltage bias to avoid dark current output when no photon input is present and also is configured to respond to a single photon input by generating a photovoltaic output voltage. A single electron bipolar avalanche transistor (SEBAT) has a base emitter junction connected in parallel with the germanium photodiode and is configured so that the photovoltaic output voltage triggers an avalanche collector current output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Robin Mark Adrian Dawson, Michael G. Moebius, Benjamin F. Lane
  • Publication number: 20200096315
    Abstract: A system and method for metrology and profilometry using a light field generator are disclosed. For this purpose, a system such as an optical analysis system scans a sample using light, and detects light reflected off a sample in various ways. The system operates different operational modes including a backscatter intensity, a triangulation, and an interferometric mode. For this purpose, the optical analysis system includes one or more optical angle modulation systems, such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) modulators, that emit light, a sample holder, and a scanning system that scans the one or more SAW modulators relative to the sample holder. The system performs tomographic reconstructions of information generated by the scans to create 3D maps/volume datasets of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Publication date: March 26, 2020
    Inventors: Steven J. Byrnes, Jeffrey A. Korn, Gregg E. Favalora, Juha-Pekka J. Laine, Michael G. Moebius
  • Publication number: 20200056877
    Abstract: A multi-beam optical phased array on a single planar waveguide layer or a small number of planar waveguide layers enables building an optical sensor that performs much like a significantly larger telescope. Imaging systems use planar waveguides created using micro-lithographic techniques. These imagers are variants of “phased arrays,” common and familiar from microwave radar applications. However, there are significant differences when these same concepts are applied to visible and infrared light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Lane, Steven J. Spector, Alan X. Zhou, Julian A. Brown, Michael G. Moebius
  • Publication number: 20200041728
    Abstract: A steerable optical transmit and receive terminal includes a MEMS-based N×1 optical switch network. Each optical switch in the optical switch network uses an electrostatic MEMS structure to selectively position a translatable optical grating close to or far from an optical waveguide. In the close (“ON”) position, light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide, whereas in the far (“OFF”) position, no appreciable light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide. The translatable optical grating is disposed at or near a surface of the optical switch network. Thus, the translatable optical grating emits light into, or receives light from, free space. The steerable optical transmit and receive terminal also includes a lens and can steer a free space optical beam in a direction determined by which port of the N×1 optical switch network is ON.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius, Benjamin F. Lane, Gregg E. Favalora
  • Patent number: 10473862
    Abstract: A steerable optical transmit and receive terminal includes a MEMS-based N×1 optical switch network. Each optical switch in the optical switch network uses an electrostatic MEMS structure to selectively position a translatable optical grating close to or far from an optical waveguide. In the close (“ON”) position, light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide, whereas in the far (“OFF”) position, no appreciable light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide. The translatable optical grating is disposed at or near a surface of the optical switch network. Thus, the translatable optical grating emits light into, or receives light from, free space. The steerable optical transmit and receive terminal also includes a lens and can steer a free space optical beam in a direction determined by which port of the N×1 optical switch network is ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius, Benjamin F. Lane, Gregg E. Favalora
  • Patent number: 10466423
    Abstract: A steerable optical transmit and receive terminal includes a MEMS-based N×1 optical switching network. Each optical switch in the switching network uses an electrostatic MEMS structure to selectively position a translatable optical grating close to or far from an optical waveguide. In the close (“ON”) position, light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide, whereas in the far (“OFF”) position, no appreciable light couples between the translatable optical grating and the optical waveguide. The translatable optical grating is disposed at or near a surface of the optical switching network. Thus, the translatable optical grating emits light into, or receives light from, free space. The steerable optical transmit and receive terminal also includes a lens and can steer a free space optical beam in a direction determined by which port of the N×1 optical switching network is ON.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius, Benjamin F. Lane
  • Publication number: 20190302569
    Abstract: There can be a problem of output intensity node or nodes as a function of angle, for waveguide-based optical modulators, such as leaky-mode surface acoustic wave modulators. Several approaches are illustrated that can be used to provide more uniform output light across a range of angles, i.e., that is avoid dark “drop-outs.” It can also be used to increase the output angle range or exit light fan. This is achieved by leveraging the different diffraction characteristics between different guided modes. It exploits the observation that utilizing different waveguide guided modes, e.g. TE0 like versus TE1-like, causes a SAW optical modulator to operate with different relationships between output angle and output intensity. It turns out that they can be at least complementary, that is: one waveguide mode can fill in the dark gaps of another wave guide mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Gregg E. Favalora, Michael G. Moebius, Joy C. Perkinson, Dennis M. Callahan, Steven J. Byrnes, Ian W. Frank
  • Patent number: 10416468
    Abstract: Electro-holographic light field generator devices comprising surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulators are disclosed that employ multiple output couplers. These output couplers might be distributed along waveguides of the SAW modulators, within output coupling regions. Each of these output couplers can be configured for directing an incident leaky mode light at different output angles. In some cases, it may be desirable to employ the output couplers to function as different sub-pixels, to provide light to different viewing directions. The output couplers may be mirrors, volume gratings, chirped gratings, reflection gratings, two dimensional gratings, and/or transmission gratings. The output couplers may be angled so that the coupling output fans for each optical modulator are offset from the waveguide for that optical modulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Gregg E. Favalora, Joseph J. Register, Steven J. Byrnes, Ian W. Frank, Dennis M. Callahan
  • Publication number: 20190271821
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein improve the performance of active sensing systems, such as LiDAR systems, and enable detection of objects closer to the system's sensor. Illustrative embodiments enable spatial separation of the excitation and return signal on a photonic integrated chip (“PIC”) such that separate waveguides can be used for the excitation and return signals, enabling isolation of the system's detectors from the excitation source without the use of a splitter or circulator. For example, preferred embodiments avoid loss due to the use of splitters and the need for gating the detector, and are desirably compatible with chip-scale systems. Moreover, illustrative embodiments enable keeping the excitation and detection paths on the same PIC (e.g. in an interleaved configuration), which helps keep the system more compact and avoid issues introduced by parallax.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Spector
  • Publication number: 20190235053
    Abstract: A monostatic optical system adaptable for use as a circulator in a LiDAR system wherein the monostatic optical system includes a photonic integrated circuit and a first light detector. The photonic integrated circuit includes a nonlinear optical device. For example, the device may be a ring resonator or a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Transmitted light pulses are of sufficient power to alter the optical characteristics of the nonlinear optical device, whereas received reflected light is of low power thereby traveling on a different path to the first light detector. A feedback monitor and tuner may be included to tune the optical characteristics of the nonlinear optical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Steven J. Spector, Michael G. Moebius
  • Publication number: 20190162908
    Abstract: A coupling interface arrangement is described for a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) device. The PIC includes an interface coupling surface having optical grating elements arranged to form optical output locations that produce corresponding light output beams. A coupling lens couples the light output beams into a conjugate plane at a far-field scene characterized by one or more optical aberrations that degrade optical resolution of the light outputs. The optical grating elements are configured to correct for the one or more optical aberrations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Publication date: May 30, 2019
    Inventors: Michael G. Moebius, Steven J. Byrnes, Steven J. Spector, Francis J. Rogomentich, Matthew A. Sinclair