Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Curtis J Harkrider

James M Cicchiello

John Featherston

Christopher A Archer

Frederick D Bean

David A Gallagher

Kenneth E Kreischer

Sung-Shik Yoo

Ronald B Jones

Christopher Lee Kauffman

Philip R Minarik

A system includes a detector array having a plurality of level detectors to monitor an optical input signal. Each level detector of the detector array operates in a different operating range, and each operating range for each level detector has a different saturation level and a different cutoff level based on a power level of the optical input signal. A controller monitors the plurality of level detectors of the detector array to detect a present power level for the optical input signal by selecting the operating range that is associated with the level detector operating between its saturation level and its cutoff level.

Optical receiver sensitivity system

A beam-steering element made of a more optically-active material, potassium tantalate niobate, with an improved diffraction efficiency, having a plurality of electrode layers and one electro-optic crystal layer interposed between every two adjacent electrode layers. Each electro-optic crystal layer and the electrode layer adjacent thereto have an aspect ratio of about 1:1. The electrode layers and the electro-optic crystal layers are interposed between two substrates. Preferably, the substrates are transparent to an incoming beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layer.

Electro-optic crystal, diffraction-based, beam-steering element

An imaging device is provided which may include a plurality of imaging lenses. Each imaging lens may be placed adjacent to a dispersive element. The imaging lenses and dispersive element(s) may be placed adjacent to a focal plane array to allow light from a light emitting event traveling through the imaging lenses to be simultaneously received by the focal plane array. One of the optical channels provides continuous broadband imagery without interfering with the operation of the dispersive optical channels. No moving parts are required in this small compact system, and no reconfiguration during operation is necessary to enable any of the functions, they are all simultaneous. Information related to the light received by the focal plane array may be transmitted to a processor for processing to determine whether the light emitting event is of interest and to determine an event type. Broadband imagery provided may be used for situational awareness, targeting, and surveillance.

Image detection and identification device

An electro-optic crystal based beam-steering device preferably based on KTN, having a first deflector and a second deflector. The first deflector has a pair of substrates each having a plurality of first electrode lines extending along a first direction and a plurality of electro-optic crystal modulators interposed between the first electrode lines. The second deflector has a pair of substrates each having a plurality of second electrode lines extending along a second direction and a plurality of electro-optic crystal modulators interposed between the second electrode lines. The first direction is orthogonal to the second direction.

Architecture for large-FOR EO-crystal-based agile beam steering

A target illuminating system is provided for steering a scan optical beam and reducing the size of an optical output aperture. The system includes an array of scan beam outlets being selectively operative to receive and project a point source of scan beam radiation along an optical path. The system also includes a collimating element being disposed along the optical path. The collimating element is operative to receive the point source of scan beam radiation and to output the collimated scan optical beam in a desired coarse direction corresponding to a selected one of the scan beam outlets. The scan optical beam defines a scan exit pupil which is substantially coincident with the optical output aperture.

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Wheaton, IL, United States of America

Curtis J Harkrider