Abstract: A laser transmitter component including a photonic integrated circuit substrate including a plurality of laser transmitters coupled to at least one optical output, and configured to emit a light beam from one of the laser transmitters of the plurality of laser transmitters through the at least one optical output one laser transmitter at a time; a feedback circuit configured to determine at least one characteristic of the light beam emitted from the optical output and to provide the determined characteristic to a controller; and the controller configured to control at least one of a temperature and an input electrical current of the laser transmitter emitting the light beam and to control at least one of a temperature and an input electrical current of at least one further laser transmitter of the laser transmitter component based on the determined characteristic.

Abstract: LIDAR systems, and methods of measuring a scene are disclosed. A laser source emits one or more optical beams. A scanning optical system scans the optical beams over a scene and captures reflections from the scene. A measurement subsystem independently measures the reflections from N subpixels within each scene pixel, where N is an integer greater than 1, and combines the measurements of the reflections from the N subpixels to determine range and/or range rate for the pixel.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are microelectronics packages and methods for manufacturing the same. The microelectronics packages may include a photonic integrated circuit (PIC), an electrical integrated circuit (EIC), and an interconnect. The interconnect may connect the EIC to the PIC. The interconnect may include a plurality of paths between the EIC and the PIC and the individual paths of the plurality of paths are less than 100 micrometers long.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit is provided having a plurality of light paths each configured to branch light received from at least one light receiving input to a first light path section and a second light path section, to turn the polarization of at least a portion of the light received at the receiving input into light of a first linear polarization and light of a second linear polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; wherein the first light path section is configured to emit light of the first linear polarization to the outside; wherein the second light path section is configured to determine an interference signal using the light having the second linear polarization of the first light path and light having the second received from the outside.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging system is provided having an interlaced angular dispersion by providing a photonic integrated circuit having a plurality of light paths having a non-uniform next-neighbor distance and emitting light of different wavelengths through the light paths.

Abstract: A photonic integrated circuit, comprising a semiconductor photonic substrate having integrated therein: at least one light receiving input; at least one optical splitter to branch light received at the at least one light receiving input to a first light path and a second light path; wherein, the photonic integrated circuit, in the first light path, includes: at least one first amplifier structure to amplify the light in the first light path to provide first amplified light; at least one first light output to output the first amplified light from the at least one first amplifier structure; and at least one first photo detector to receive light from the outside of the photonic integrated circuit, the at least one first photo detector being located next to the at least one first light output; wherein, the photonic integrated circuit, in the second light path, includes: at least one second amplifier structure to amplify the light in the second light path to provide second amplified light; at least one second ligh

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, including: a laser source configured to emit one or more optical beams; at least one optical channel configured to emit the one or more optical beams from an optical output interface of the optical channel over a scene and capture reflections of the one or more optical beams from the scene in an optical input interface of the optical channel; wherein the one or more optical beams are scanned in a first direction, and wherein the optical input interface and the optical output interface are arranged along a second direction different from the first direction, and wherein the optical channel comprises a polarization beam displacer configured to guide reflections of the one or more beams from a receiving position arranged along the first direction towards the optical input interface.

Abstract: A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system may include a laser source configured to emit one or more optical beams; a scanning optical system configured to scan the one or more optical beams over a scene and capture reflections of the one or more optical beams from the scene; a measurement system configured to divide the scene into a plurality of pixels, the measurement system comprising a detector configured to detect a return signal from multiple pixels of the plurality of pixels as the one or more optical beams are scanned across the scene, and a data processor configured to perform data processing from the return signal from the multiple pixels to determine a range and/or range rate for each pixel of the scene.

Abstract: Frequency modulated lasers, LIDAR systems, and methods of controlling laser are disclosed. A laser source emits an optical beam having an optical frequency that changes in response to a signal applied to an input of the laser source. A laser driver that generates the signal applied to the input to cause the optical frequency to vary in accordance with a periodic frequency versus time function. The laser driver generates the signal for a current period of the periodic frequency versus time function based, at least in part, on optical frequency versus time measurements of one or more prior periods of the periodic frequency versus time function.

Abstract: Frequency modulated lasers, LIDAR systems, and methods of controlling laser are disclosed. A laser source emits an optical beam having an optical frequency that changes in response to a signal applied to an input of the laser source. A laser driver that generates the signal applied to the input to cause the optical frequency to vary in accordance with a periodic frequency versus time function. The laser driver generates the signal for a current period of the periodic frequency versus time function based, at least in part, on optical frequency versus time measurements of one or more prior periods of the periodic frequency versus time function.

Abstract: LIDAR systems, and methods of measuring a scene are disclosed. A laser source emits one or more optical beams. A scanning optical system scans the optical beams over a scene and captures reflections from the scene. A measurement subsystem independently measures the reflections from N subpixels within each scene pixel, where N is an integer greater than 1, and combines the measurements of the reflections from the N subpixels to determine range and/or range rate for the pixel.

Abstract: A laser resonator includes an active material, which amplifies light associated with an optical gain of the resonator, and passive materials disposed in proximity with the active material. The resonator oscillates over one or more optical modes, each of which corresponds to a particular spatial energy distribution and resonant frequency. Based on a characteristic of the passive materials, for the particular spatial energy distribution corresponding to at least one of the optical modes, a preponderant portion of optical energy is distributed apart from the active material. The passive materials may include a low loss material, which stores the preponderant optical energy portion distributed apart from the active material, and a buffer material disposed between the low loss material and the active material, which controls a ratio of the optical energy stored in the low loss material to a portion of the optical energy in the active material.

Abstract: A detection apparatus and method for FMCW LIDAR employ signals whose frequencies are modified so that low-cost and low-speed photodetector arrays, such as CCD or CMOS cameras, can be employed for range detection. The LIDAR is designed to measure the range z to a target and includes a single mode swept frequency laser (SFL), whose optical frequency is varied with time, as a result of which, a target beam which is reflected back by the target is shifted in frequency from a reference beam by an amount that is proportional to the relative range z to the target. The reflected target beam is combined with the reference beam and detected by the photodetector array. By first modulating at least one of the target and reference beams such that the difference between the frequencies of the reflected target beam and the reference beam is reduced to a level that is within the bandwidth of the photodetector array, the need for high-speed detector arrays for full-field imaging is obviated.

Abstract: A detection apparatus and method for FMCW LIDAR employ signals that are modified so that low-cost and low-speed photodetector arrays, such as CCD or CMOS cameras, can be employed for range detection. The LIDAR is designed to measure the range to one or more targets and includes a single mode swept frequency laser (SFL), whose optical frequency is varied with time, as a result of which, a target beam which is reflected back by the one or more targets is shifted in frequency from a reference beam by an amount that is proportional to the relative range to the one or more targets. The reflected target beam(s) is/are combined with the reference beam and detected by the photodetector array. In the case of a sparse number of targets to be detected, Compressive Sensing (CS) techniques can be employed by a processor to reduce the number of measurements necessary to determine the range of each target.

Abstract: A laser resonator includes an active material, which amplifies light associated with an optical gain of the resonator, and passive materials disposed in proximity with the active material. The resonator oscillates over one or more optical modes, each of which corresponds to a particular spatial energy distribution and resonant frequency. Based on a characteristic of the passive materials, for the particular spatial energy distribution corresponding to at least one of the optical modes, a preponderant portion of optical energy is distributed apart from the active material. The passive materials may include a low loss material, which stores the preponderant optical energy portion distributed apart from the active material, and a buffer material disposed between the low loss material and the active material, which controls a ratio of the optical energy stored in the low loss material to a portion of the optical energy in the active material.

Abstract: A detection apparatus and method for FMCW LIDAR employ signals whose frequencies are modified so that low-cost and low-speed photodetector arrays, such as CCD or CMOS cameras, can be employed for range detection. The LIDAR is designed to measure the range z to a target and includes a single mode swept frequency laser (SFL), whose optical frequency is varied with time, as a result of which, a target beam which is reflected back by the target is shifted in frequency from a reference beam by an amount that is proportional to the relative range z to the target. The reflected target beam is combined with the reference beam and detected by the photodetector array. By first modulating at least one of the target and reference beams such that the difference between the frequencies of the reflected target beam and the reference beam is reduced to a level that is within the bandwidth of the photodetector array, the need for high-speed detector arrays for full-field imaging is obviated.

Abstract: This invention relates to opto-electronic systems using semiconductor lasers driven by optical phase-locked loops that control the laser's optical phase and frequency. Feedback control provides a means for precise, wideband control of optical frequency and phase, augmented further by four wave mixing stages and digitally stitched independent optical waveforms for enhanced tunability.

Abstract: A detection apparatus and method for FMCW LIDAR employ signals that are modified so that low-cost and low-speed photodetector arrays, such as CCD or CMOS cameras, can be employed for range detection. The LIDAR is designed to measure the range to one or more targets and includes a single mode swept frequency laser (SFL), whose optical frequency is varied with time, as a result of which, a target beam which is reflected back by the one or more targets is shifted in frequency from a reference beam by an amount that is proportional to the relative range to the one or more targets. The reflected target beam(s) is/are combined with the reference beam and detected by the photodetector array. In the case of a sparse number of targets to be detected, Compressive Sensing (CS) techniques can be employed by a processor to reduce the number of measurements necessary to determine the range of each target.

Abstract: An optoelectronic swept-frequency semiconductor laser coupled to a microfabricated optical biomolecular sensor with integrated resonator and waveguide and methods related thereto are described. Biomolecular sensors with optical resonator microfabricated with integrated waveguide operation can be in a microfluidic flow cell.

Abstract: This invention relates to opto-electronic systems using semiconductor lasers driven by optical phase-locked loops that control the laser's optical phase and frequency. Feedback control provides a means for precise, wideband control of optical frequency and phase, augmented further by four wave mixing stages and digitally stitched independent optical waveforms for enhanced tunability.