Abstract: An infrared optical system having a spectral range for achieving a fog penetration distance of at least 2.75 Runway Visibility Range (RVR) is provided herein. The optical system may include a single set of optical elements designed to have a wavelength range extending beyond 1.2 ?m toward shorter wavelengths and comprising a short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) range and at least one of: a middle-wavelength infrared (MWIR) range and a long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) range, to enhance a detection range of the infrared optical system, wherein the single set of optical elements is laid such that the both the SWIR range and the at least one of the MWIR range and the LWIR range of infrared radiation pass through all of the optical elements.

Abstract: An optical arrangement of lenses configured for use with an ultra wide band optical sensor is provided herein. The optical arrangement is associated with a back focal plane and further includes a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth lens ordered from first to sixth along a common optical axis such that the first lens is farthest from the back focal plane and the sixth lens is closest to the back focal plane, wherein the first and the second lenses are made of zinc sulfide, the third and the sixth lenses are made of barium fluoride, the fourth lens is made of magnesium oxide, and the fifth lens is made of calcium fluoride, and wherein the lenses are selected to transfer any light within a wavelength range that contains 0.42 ?m to 3.6 ?m.

Abstract: An infrared optical system having a spectral range for achieving a fog penetration distance of at least 2.75 Runway Visibility Range (RVR) is provided herein. The optical system may include a single set of optical elements designed to have a wavelength range extending beyond 1.2 ?m toward shorter wavelengths and comprising a short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) range and at least one of: a middle-wavelength infrared (MWIR) range and a long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) range, to enhance a detection range of the infrared optical system, wherein the single set of optical elements is laid such that the both the SWIR range and the at least one of the MWIR range and the LWIR range of infrared radiation pass through all of the optical elements.

Abstract: An optical instrument that includes: an objective lens having an outer convex surface, an inner concave surface, a center, a first optical axis, and a bore cut substantially though the center; a set of objective lenses positioned within the bore and along the first optical axis; a first reflective element disposed along the first optical axis, within a first distance from the convex surface and tilted at a first tilt angle, the first reflective element configured to reflect rays incident along the first optical axis onto a second optical axis; and a second reflective element disposed along the second optical axis and within a second distance from the concave surface, wherein the first tilt angle is selected such that the first and the second distances are minimized.

Abstract: An optical instrument with temperature-related focal length variations compensation mechanism is provided herein. The optical instrument includes: a housing within a bore of the optical instrument, wherein the bore and the housing have each a distal end and a proximal end; a set of lenses located on a common optical axis and affixed within the housing, wherein the set of lenses is associated with a specified focal length for each specified temperature; and a temperature compensation member connecting the distal end of the housing to the distal end of the bore of the optical instrument, wherein the temperature compensation member comprises one or more sections whose thermal expansion coefficient and length along the optical axis are selected such that for a specified range of temperatures, the expansion of the temperature compensation member along the optical axis compensates for a change of the focal length of the lenses.

Abstract: An optical arrangement of lenses configured for use with an ultra wide band optical sensor is provided herein. The optical arrangement is associated with a back focal plane and further includes a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth lens ordered from first to sixth along a common optical axis such that the first lens is farthest from the back focal plane and the sixth lens is closest to the back focal plane, wherein the first and the second lenses are made of zinc sulfide, the third and the sixth lenses are made of barium fluoride, the fourth lens is made of magnesium oxide, and the fifth lens is made of calcium fluoride, and wherein the lenses are selected to transfer any light within a wavelength range that contains 0.42 ?m to 3.6 ?m.

Abstract: An optical instrument that includes: an objective lens having an outer convex surface, an inner concave surface, a center, a first optical axis, and a bore cut substantially though the center; a set of objective lenses positioned within the bore and along the first optical axis; a first reflective element disposed along the first optical axis, within a first distance from the convex surface and tilted at a first tilt angle, the first reflective element configured to reflect rays incident along the first optical axis onto a second optical axis; and a second reflective element disposed along the second optical axis and within a second distance from the concave surface, wherein the first tilt angle is selected such that the first and the second distances are minimized.

Abstract: A range finder system for determining a range of an object. The system includes a source of laser radiation configured for transmitting a plurality of pulses, a first detector, a second detector, an optical arrangement configured for directing the pulses along an outgoing path and receiving the pulses reflected by the object along a return path. The first detector is deployed to be responsive to the pulses traveling along the outgoing path and the second detector insensitive to the reflections of the pulses from less that the minimum range. The system further includes a controller configured for shorting a connection within the second detector to make the second detector insensitive to the reflections of the pulses from less than a minimum range, and for determining the range of the object based upon a time-of-flight of one or more of the pulses based upon output signals of the first detector and the second detector.