Abstract:
A chip-scale scanning lidar includes a two dimensional (2D) scanning micromirror for a transmit beam and a 2D scanning micromirror for a receive beam, a laser diode and a photodetector, a first waveguide and first grating outcoupler coupled to a front facet of the laser diode, a second waveguide and a second grating outcoupler coupled to a rear facet of the laser diode on a substrate. A first fixed micromirror, a second micromirror, a third micromirror, and a focusing component are in a dielectric layer bonded to the substrate over the laser diode and photodetector. The photodetector is optically coupled to the second fixed micromirror and the third fixed micromirror for coherent detection.
Abstract:
In one aspect, a method includes representing a range of Doppler frequency offsets as a local oscillator waveform comprising a plurality of digital waveform samples, selecting a portion of the plurality of digital waveform samples using a Doppler value to form an optical heterodyne; and generating a signal associated with a target within a bandwidth of a receiver using the optical heterodyne.
Abstract:
The invention provides an electro-optical distance meter, which comprises a light emitting element for emitting a distance measuring light, signal generators for generating two or more proximity frequencies, intermittent pulse generators for generating a modulation signal in which the two or more proximity frequencies are intermitted respectively and converted to pulses with a predetermined width, a projecting optical system for sequentially switching over and projecting intermittent modulated distance measuring light as converted to pulses with predetermined width by the modulation signal, a photodetection unit for receiving a reflected distance measuring light from an object to be measured and producing an intermittent photodetection signal with a predetermined pulse width, other signal generators for generating frequency signals having a difference of a predetermined frequency with respect to the proximity frequency respectively, a frequency converting unit for performing frequency conversion by mixing the intermittent photodetection signals from the photodetection unit to a difference frequency and the frequency signals and for obtaining a signal column of intermittent conversion signals having a predetermined pulse width corresponding to each difference frequency respectively and changing by corresponding to each difference frequency respectively, and an arithmetic control unit, wherein the arithmetic control unit is configured so as to intermit the proximity frequencies so that the pulse width of the intermittent modulated distance measuring light will be shorter than a period of the difference frequency, to calculate difference frequency waveforms with respect to each of the intermittent conversion signals respectively, to calculate a precise measurement distance value by obtaining a phase from a waveform of at least one cycle of the difference frequency, to calculate a coarse measurement distance value by obtaining a phase difference between the relative difference frequencies and to determine a distance by combining the coarse measurement distance value and the precise measurement distance value.
Abstract:
Various implementations of the invention compensate for "phase wandering" in tunable laser sources. Phase wandering may negatively impact a performance of a lidar system that employ such laser sources, typically by reducing a coherence length/range of the lidar system, an effective bandwidth of the lidar system, a sensitivity of the lidar system, etc. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering near the laser source and before the output of the laser is directed toward a target. Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering in the target signal (i.e., the output of the laser that is incident on and reflected back from the target). Some implementations of the invention compensate for phase wandering at the laser source and in the target signal.
Abstract:
A laser range finder including a laser configured to project a laser beam onto a target object thereby causing a target beam to be reflected from the target object, wherein the laser beam has a frequency, and wherein the frequency is modulated at a known rate, a first beam splitter positioned to split a reference beam from the laser beam, a second beam splitter positioned to receive the target beam and the reference beam, wherein the target beam and the reference beam are coherently combined, the coherently combined beams establishing a difference frequency, and a detector configured to measure the difference frequency.
Abstract:
A laser range finder including a laser configured to project a laser beam onto a target object thereby causing a target beam to be reflected from the target object, wherein the laser beam has a frequency, and wherein the frequency is modulated at a known rate, a first beam splitter positioned to split a reference beam from the laser beam, a second beam splitter positioned to receive the target beam and the reference beam, wherein the target beam and the reference beam are coherently combined, the coherently combined beams establishing a difference frequency, and a detector configured to measure the difference frequency.