General Photonics Corporation

Other

California Institute of Technology

Suzhou Optoring Technology Co. Ltd.

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Luna Innovations Inc.

Nuvision Photonics, Inc.

Xiaotian Steve Yao

Xiaojun James Chen

Lutfollah Maleki

Hongxin Chen

Vladimir Ilchenko

Lianshan Yan

Anton Khomenko

George F Lutes

Oleksii Karpenko

Longzhi Wang

Zhuo Meng

Haimin Yu

Lynn Lin

Yao Yao

Designs and implementations of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems that project light at a set of different wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) wavelengths based on WDM optical designs to reduce the number of components, complexity of LiDAR optical systems, the weight and cost of LiDAR systems for a wide range of applications.

Optical sensing based on wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) light at different wavelengths in light detection and ranging LiDAR systems

The disclosed technology can be implemented in photonics integrated circuit (PIC) to provide an optical frequency detection device for measuring an optical frequency of light using two Mach-Zehnder interferometer where the delay imbalance in the first interferometer is configured to be one quarter wavelength longer than that of the second interferometer to produce an additional phase difference between the two arms. The two outputs of each interferometer are then detected by two photodetectors to produce two complementary interference signals. The difference between the two complementary interference signals of the first interferometer is a sine function of the optical frequency while the difference between the two complementary interference signals of the second interferometer is proportional to a cosine function of the optical frequency. Using the sine/cosine interpretation algorithm commonly used for the rotation encoders/decoders, any increments in optical frequency can be readily obtained.

Sine-cosine optical frequency detection devices for photonics integrated circuits and applications in LiDAR and other distributed optical sensing

Optical techniques and sensor devices for sensing or measuring electric currents and/or temperature based on photonic sensing techniques in optical reflection modes by using optical dielectric materials exhibiting Faraday effects are provided in various configurations. The disclosed optical sensing technology uses light to carry and transmit the current or temperature information obtained at the sensing location to a remote base station and this optical transmission allows remote sensing in various applications and provide a built-in temperature calibration mechanism to enhance the measurement accuracy in a range of different temperature conditions.

Reflective current and magnetic sensors based on optical sensing with integrated temperature sensing

Techniques and devices for optical sensing of rotation based on measurements and sensing of optical polarization or changes in optical polarization in light waves in an optical loop due to rotation without using optical interferometry and a closed loop feedback in modulating the light in the optical loop.

Non-interferometric optical gyroscope based on polarization sensing and implementations of closed loop control allowing for slow phase modulation

Techniques and devices for optical sensing of rotation based on measurements and sensing of optical polarization or changes in optical polarization due to rotation without using optical interferometry.

Non-interferometric optical gyroscope based on polarization sensing

One example coherent optical time domain reflectometer device includes a coherent light source that produces coherent probe light pulses at an optical wavelength; an optical coupling unit coupled to f a fiber link under test to direct the coherent probe light pulses into the fiber link and to receive reflected probe light pulses from the fiber link; an optical detection unit to receive the reflected probe light pulses and structured to include an optical interferometer to process the reflected probe light pulses along two different optical paths to generate different optical output signals from the reflected probe light pulses along different optical paths, and optical detectors to receive the optical output signals from the optical interferometer; and a device controller coupled to the optical detection unit to extract information on spatial distribution of acoustic&#x2014;or vibration&#x2014;or strain-dependent characteristics as a function of distance along the fiber link under test.

Distributed fiber optic acoustic sensor

This patent document discloses techniques and devices for sensing or measuring electric currents and/or temperature based on photonic sensing techniques. The optical sensors for sensing the current or temperature can be configured as a polarization-insensitive optical sensor in either an optical transmissive configuration or an optical reflective configuration.

Polarization insensitive current and magnetic sensors with active temperature compensation

Optical polarization-based devices and techniques are provided to enable low cost construction and easy signal processing to measure the light frequency via measurements of signals associated with a delay between the two orthogonal polarizations after passing through a DGD element and the retardation value of the DGD element without directly measuring the optical frequency. The optical detection may be designed in various configurations. In particular, for example, the optical detection may split the optical output of the DGD into two optical beams with two different optical detectors so that the final frequency information can be deducted into a pair of sine and cosine functions, such as a pair of sine and cosine functions of measured optical signal levels and the retardation value of the DGD element.

Sine-cosine optical frequency encoder devices based on optical polarization properties

Devices, systems and techniques for measuring optical polarization-related parameters in optical materials and devices such as polarization maintaining (PM) fiber links based on polarization crosstalks that spatially distribute over a length of a material such as a PM fiber link.

Complete characterization of polarization-maintaining fibers using distributed polarization analysis

This patent document discloses fiber sensing techniques and devices for shape monitoring by using single- and multi-core optical fiber implementations and optical interferometry. Implementations can be made based on coherent optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) or optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR).

Sensitive optical fiber shape sensing based on shape-related optical polarization evolution

The technology disclosed in this application provide for non-destructive and non-contact optical characterization of fiber reinforced plastic composites and other structures under test based on optical transmission scanning.

Optical characterization of fiber reinforced plastic composites based on optical transmission scanning

The disclosed technology includes, among others, methods and devices for measuring distributed fiber bend or stress related characteristics along an optical path of fiber under test (FUT) uses both a light input unit and a light output unit connected to the FUT at one single end.

Devices and methods for characterization of distributed fiber bend and stress

Techniques and devices for sensing or measuring electric currents and/or temperature based on photonic sensing is disclosed. An optical current sensor head is located near or at a current-carrying conductor so that a magnetic field associated with the current is present at a Faraday material and the optical detection unit detects the light from the Faraday material to determine a magnitude of the current. An optical temperature sensor head is located near or at a location so that the temperature at a temperature-sensing Faraday material is reflected by the optical polarization rotation which is detected to determine the temperature.

Faraday current and temperature sensors

Optical designs and techniques for providing compact optical delay lines by using a dual fiber collimator structured to include (1) an input fiber line that receives and guides an input light beam, (2) an output fiber line that guides and exports an output light beam that has an optical delay relative to the input light beam, and (3) a collimating lens placed on one side of end facets of the input and output fiber lines to receive the input light beam from the input fiber line and to output the output beam light to the output fiber line.

Growing community of inventors

Diamond Bar, CA, United States of America

Xiaotian Steve Yao