Lockheed Martin Corporation

Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.

Alan Lee Duncan

Richard Lee Kendrick

Robert D Sigler

David M Stubbs

Guy Chriqui

Chad Elliott Ogden

Daniel S Acton

Kenneth Roy Lorell

Eric H Smith

Gregory Samuel Feller

Howard C Holmes

Joseph T Pitman

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based imager blade includes a number of PIC imager units stacked on top of one another. Each PIC imager unit includes a PIC coupled, at a first end and a second end, to a first set of lenslets and a second set of lenslets, respectively. An electronic integrated circuit (EIC) is coupled to the PIC. Pairs of lenslets of the first and second set of lenslets are optically coupled to respective waveguides embedded in the PIC. The PIC imager units have different lengths, and longer PIC imager units include larger lenslets.

Megapixel-resolution photonic integrated circuit based imager

An apparatus includes a first light source to produce a first reference light, a first pair of arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) to demultiplex a first optical signal and the first reference light, respectively, into multiple first signal beams and multiple first reference beams. A first heterodyne optical detector can mix the multiple first signal beams and the multiple first reference beams to generate first quadrature optical signals. A first pair of photo-detectors can convert the first quadrature optical signals to first in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) electrical signals. The apparatus is implemented as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) incorporating the first pair of AWGs, the first heterodyne optical detector and the first pair of photo-detectors.

Photonic integrated circuit for heterodyne imaging

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) imager includes a substrate, and a number of PIC imager units disposed in an arbitrary configuration on the substrate. Each PIC imager unit includes a PIC coupled to an optical connector, and a number of lenslets configured as a linear lenslet array and optically coupled to an edge of the PIC. Pairs of lenslets of the linear lenslet array are optically coupled to respective waveguides embedded in the PIC.

Linear-fan configuration of photonic integrated circuit imagers

An apparatus includes multiple photonic integrated circuit (PIC) optical spectrometers, and an imaging plane coupled to the PIC optical spectrometers. Each PIC optical spectrometer includes multiple semiconductor chip layers. Each semiconductor chip layer includes multiple arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and a number of on-chip optical detectors.

Photonic integrated circuit optical spectrometer

An apparatus includes a number of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) imaging detector arrays, and multiple electronic integrated circuits (ICs) coupled to the PIC imaging detector arrays. Each PIC imaging detector array of includes a number of lenslets and a number of waveguides. At least some of the lenslets are coupled to multiple waveguides, and sets of two lenslets are configured to form interferometer channels.

Super-PIC SPIDER

A device for combined-zoom interferometric imaging includes a number of first blades and second blades. Each of the first blades includes multiple first optical elements arranged in a first linear configuration for high-resolution interferometric imaging. Each of the second blades includes multiple second optical elements arranged in a second linear configuration for low-resolution interferometric imaging. Pairs of the first optical elements with different baseline lengths are coupled through a first array of optical waveguides to an optical processor. Pairs of the second optical elements with different baseline lengths are coupled through a second array of optical waveguides to the optical processor.

Segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optic reconnaissance (SPIDER) zoom

An imaging system can include of a plurality of pairs of lenslets and a respective plurality of two-dimensional arrays of photonic waveguides arranged in a respective plurality of photonic integrated circuits. Each waveguide can collect light in an airy-disk-size bin to cover a full field of view of the lenslet. Light from each pair of respective waveguides from each pair of lenslets can be demultiplexed into wavelength bins and combined with appropriate phase shifts to enable a measurement of the complex visibility. The complex visibilities from all of the measurements then can be processed to form an image.

Interferometer array imaging system using photonic integrated circuit cards

A device for interferometric imaging may comprise multiple optical elements arranged in a linear configuration. The device may also comprise multiple waveguide arrays (WGAs) each WGA of the multiple WGAs may include one or more WGs. Some of the WGs of each WGA of the multiple WGAs may be optically coupled to an optical element of the multiple optical elements. Each WG of a first WGA of the multiple WGAs is coupled to a first optical element of the multiple optical elements and is paired with a WG of a second WGA of the multiple WGAs that is coupled to second optical element of the multiple optical elements. The lengths of the paired WGs of the first and second WGAs of the multiple WGAs are not equal.

Segmented planar imaging detector for electro-optic reconnaissance

A telescope comprises a folding reflector comprising a plurality of sections configured to fold at a plurality of substantially parallel hinges, a support structure configured to support at least two of the plurality of sections of the folding reflector and further configured to fold at one of the plurality of substantially parallel hinges, a corrector assembly configured to deploy from a stowed position in which an optical axis of the corrector assembly is substantially parallel to the parallel hinges to a deployed position in which the optical axis is substantially perpendicular to the folding reflector when the folding reflector is deployed. The telescope further comprises a hexapod configured to stow and deploy the corrector assembly.

Scanning wide field telescope (SWIFT) spaceflight-deployed payload

A scanning wide-field telescope includes a primary reflecting mirror and a corrector assembly. The corrector assembly corrects light beams for spherical aberration imposed on the light beams by the primary reflecting mirror. The corrector assembly is located between the primary reflecting mirror and a viewing end of the telescope, and is configured to move to multiple optical focal points of the primary reflecting mirror.

Scanning wide field telescope and method

A multiple instrument distributed aperture sensor ('MIDAS') science payload system mounted on a spacecraft, including a spacecraft interface ring affixing the MIDAS science payload system to the spacecraft, and a multiple telescope array ('MTA') further including a mechanical subsystem further including an optical bench, an optical subsystem mounted upon the mechanical subsystem collecting light and merging the light into a passive, actively-sensed or hyperspectral image, and a laser subsystem providing laser illumination for collecting active remote sensing data. The MIDAS science payload system also includes a hexapod in physical communication with and between the spacecraft interface ring and the mechanical subsystem. The MIDAS science payload system further includes a plurality of launch locks affixed to the spacecraft interface ring supporting the MTA in a stowed configuration, and a plurality of science instruments (&#x201c;SIs&#x201d;) mounted on the mechanical subsystem obverse to the optical subsystem, individually and concurrently sensing the passive, actively sensed or hyperspectral image.

Enhanced multiple instrument distributed aperture sensor

A multi-aperture imaging system for continuous dwell imaging of complex extended scenes which are not required to contain localized point sources. The multi-aperture imaging system includes a plurality of subaperture telescopes, each of which collect image data of an instantaneous field of view of an extended object scene within a field of regard of the imaging system. The image data collected by each subaperture telescope is transferred by respective optical delay paths to a beam combiner which combines all the image data in coherent fashion to form a single high resolution image of said object scene at a focal plane of the beam combiner. The subaperture telescopes are optically phased using phase diversity techniques which include using a phase diversity sensor located at the focal plane of the beam combiner to detect wavefront errors in the collected images. A phase controller is used to make phase and tilt adjustments to moveable mirror in the optical delay paths of the respective subaperture telescopes to ensure that the path length travelled by the collected image data from each subaperture telescope is maintained equal. The subaperture telescopes are supported on a deployable Y-shaped framework which folds up for compact stowage within a satellite launch canister. The subaperture telescopes are spaced in a redundant array sufficient to provide a desired uniform coverage of the spatial frequencies of a modulation transfer function (MTF) of the imaging system.

Multi-aperture imaging system

A wavefront sensor for use in a staring imaging system for generating focused and defocused images of an object scene that is being imaged by the imaging system from a single input optical beam impinged thereon. The wavefront sensor includes a beamsplitter for splitting an optical input beam into identical first and second half beam portions and for focusing the first and second half beam portions onto respective first and second focal planes. A phase plate is interposed between the beamsplitter and the second focal plane for inducing a known focus error in the second half beam portion. A photodetector is also provided and is effective to form a best focused image and a slightly out of focus image at the first and second focal planes, respectively. The focused and defocused images are combinable using phase diversity techniques to estimate wavefront aberrations present in the imaging system.

Wavefront sensor for a staring imager

A wavefront sensor for use in a scanning imaging system for generating focused and defocused images of an object scene that is being imaged by the imaging system from a single input optical beam impinged thereon. The two images are combinable using phase diversity techniques for calculating the wavefront aberrations that are present in the imaging system. The wavefront sensor includes a first linear photodetector array for forming a best focused image of an object scene as an incoming optical beam scans across the first linear photodetector array. The wavefront sensor further includes a second photodetector array disposed parallel to the first photodetector array. The second photodetector array is provided with a compensator plate for inducing a known focus error in the image that is formed on the second photodetector array as the input optical scans across the second photodetector array. In one embodiment, the two photodetector arrays are configured as CCD arrays on a single substrate. In a second embodiment, each of the first and second photodetector arrays are configured as a plurality of spaced detector segments. The respective spaced detector segments of the first and second detector arrays are arranged in staggered relation and define regions of overlap therebetween. One or more of the regions of overlap associated with the second photodetector array include a compensator plate for inducing the known focus error.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Alan Lee Duncan