United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Mark A Stephen

Fabrizio Gambini

Jeffrey W Nicholson

Jonathan Klamkin

Charles Andrew Turner

Guangning Yang

Jeffrey R Chen

Anthony W Yu

Michael A Krainak

Manohar Deshpande

Bowen Song

Hui Li

Victoria Rosborough

Joseph Fridlander

Molly E Fahey

Renan Moreira

Eleanya Onuma

The present invention relates to a lidar system including: laser transmitter and receiver systems, the laser transmitter system including: a wavelength-tunable seed laser which emits pulses at selected wavelength points, and switches between wavelengths within a switching time of <200 ns; a fiber amplifier which amplifies the laser pulses up to 200 kW to a transmitter grating; and a transmitter telescope including primary and secondary mirrors. The laser beam is directed from the transmitter grating to the secondary then primary mirrors, and the first transmitter grating is imaged on the primary mirror to minimize laser beam wander thereon. The transmitter grating diffracts and steers the laser beam by wavelength to a surface, to an arbitrary subset of <2000 resolvable footprints along a cross-track direction at a beam pointing angle switching time of <200 ns, such that footprints illuminated by the laser beam on the surface are imaged in 3D.

3-dimensional imaging lidar system

An electromagnetic signal detector includes a photonic crystal substrate, an antenna disposed on the substrate and having an active feed region and a ground region spaced apart from one another by a gap, a photonic crystal disposed on the substrate at the gap, and an electro optic polymer disposed on the photonic crystal.

Integrated-photonic electromagnetic signal detector

An arrayed waveguide for a photonic integrated circuit has a single optical path with serially connected delay lines. Different delayed optical paths or channels are periodically split off from the serially connected optical delay path. This has the net result of requiring much less space on-chip for comparable optical path differences with high spectral resolution.

Serial arrayed waveguide grating

A non-etched gap is introduced along the length of an integrated Bragg grating with etched grooves such that the coupling coefficient, K, of the grating is reduced by the non-etched gap. In this way, multiple grating K values may be defined within a photonic integrated circuit using a single lithography and etch step. Additionally, the non-etched gap width may be varied along the length of a single grating to implement a chirped grating.

Method for integration of variable Bragg grating coupling coefficients

The disclosed subject matter relates to a polarization-maintaining very large mode area (PM VLMA) Erbium-doped fiber and a polarization maintaining, Er-doped VLMA amplifier.

Polarization maintaining, large mode area (PMVLMA) erbium-doped optical fiber and amplifier

The present invention is related to laser technology which enables efficient, passive, coherent beam combination from distributed gain sources. The present invention includes a novel architecture which coherently combines the power from multiple sources, and which adds considerable flexibility to laser gain materials for many applications. The novel architecture of the present invention combines two techniques: 1) beam splitting and combination; and 2) phase-locking (i.e., maintaining a common phase relationship between multiple beams), using reflective gratings. Thus, the present invention addresses important limitations in laser technology: efficiency, power scaling and wavelength selectivity.

Spatially-distributed gain element self-phase-locked, laser apparatus and method

An optimized wavelength-tuned nonlinear frequency conversion process using a liquid crystal clad waveguide. The process includes implanting ions on a top surface of a lithium niobate crystal to form an ion implanted lithium niobate layer. The process also includes utilizing a tunable refractive index of a liquid crystal to rapidly change an effective index of the lithium niobate crystal.

Optimized wavelength-tuned nonlinear frequency conversion using a liquid crystal clad waveguide

Systems, methods, and devices may provide an optical scheme that achieves simultaneous wavelength channels and maintains the resolution and luminosity of an etalon. Various embodiments may provide a method to optically recirculate the light reflected from the etalon back through the same etalon at new angles. Various embodiments create an etalon spectrometer based on angular dispersion without moving parts and without losing the light that is not initially transmitted. Various embodiments may provide a spectrally-resolved receiver and/or transmitter. Various embodiments may provide a system including a retro-reflector, a detector or transmitter array, and an etalon disposed between the retro-reflector and the detector or transmitter array, wherein the retro-reflector is configured to redirect light reflected by the etalon back to the etalon at a different angle of incidence than an original angle of incidence on the etalon of the light reflected by the etalon.

Growing community of inventors

Catonsville, MD, United States of America

Mark A Stephen