Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to the use of III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductor materials for optical communications. In one embodiment, an optical device includes an optical waveguide device fabricated using a III-nitride semiconductor material. The III-nitride semiconductor material provides for an electrically controllable refractive index. The optical waveguide device provides for high speed optical communications in an infrared wavelength region. In one embodiment, an optical amplifier is provided using optical coatings at the facet ends of a waveguide formed of erbium-doped III-nitride semiconductor materials.
Abstract:
In a WDM transmission system carrying amplitude modulated traffic in which significant cross-phase modulation occurs, each of the individual channels is pre-chirped at the transmitter with replicas, or low-pass filtered replicas of the amplitude modulation applied to each of the other channels. Prechirping of each individual channel with a replica of the amplitude modulation applied to that channel may be added in order additionally to provide compensation for self-phase modulation.
Abstract:
A system for generating an ultra short optical pulse by pumping a semiconductor signal laser with an optical pulse from a semiconductor probe laser. The signal laser has dual segments each operated under different d.c. injection current levels. The probe laser is modulated with a pulsed input and the optical output thereof is coupled via optical means to the signal laser so as to Q-switch the latter. Optical pulses in the 65 ps range result.
Abstract:
A low-altitude altimeter (10) and a method of determining low altitudes for unmanned aerial vehicles (24). The altimeter includes at least two illuminators (12,14), at least one sensor (16), and a computing device (18). The illuminators (12,14) emit signals which are received by the sensor (16) in such a way that an angle at which they are received is determinable by the computing device (18). The computing device (18) processes each signal received by the sensor (16), determines the angle at which the sensor (16) received the signal, and, based thereon, determines the altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle (24). When a first pair of illuminators are arranged along a fuselage axis, and a second pair of illuminators are arranged orthogonally to that axis, the computing device can combine first and second altitude, pitch angle, and roll angle measurements to provide a more refined altitude determination.
Abstract:
A mobile target screen is described for ball game practicing and simulation. Tow force sensors are mounted at each of the four corners of the frame which holds a target screen. Measurements form the force sensors are used to compute and display a representation of ball speed, the location of the ball on the target screen, and the direction of the ball motion. These parameters can be used to predict the shooting distance and the landing position of the ball. It also provides enough information to predict the trajectory of the ball which can be displayed on a video screen which communicates with the sensors through a wireless transceiver.
Abstract:
An optical homodyne detection scheme for FM chirped lidar is described. The system performs de-chirping within a photodetector, and it does not require high-speed photo-detection or RF mixing. Embodiments are also described for dealing with phase noise.
Abstract:
A receiver system processes a received optical signal that carries user information. The receiver system includes a splitter, a first converter, a second converter, and a detection system. The splitter splits the received optical signal based on polarization into a first optical signal and a second optical signal. The first converter converts the first optical signal into a corresponding first electrical signal. The second converter also converts the second optical signal into a corresponding second electrical signal. The detection system applies radio frequency detection to the first electrical signal to generate a third electrical signal. The detection system applies radio frequency detection to the second electrical signal to generate a fourth electrical signal. The detection system then combines the third electrical signal and the fourth electrical signal to form a fifth electrical signal that carries the user information.
Abstract:
A compact source capable of generating continuously tunable high frequency microwave radiation and short optical pulses in the picosecond/sub-picosecond range is invented. It includes a laser structure having two lasers formed on the same substrate which simultaneously operate at different longitudinal modes. Each laser has a complex coupled (gain-coupled or loss-coupled) grating which is formed by deep etching through a multi-quantum well structure, either of the active medium or of the additional lossy quantum-well layers, thus ensuring no substantial interaction between lasers. The lasers have a common active medium and shared optical path and provide mutual light injection into each other which results in generation of a beat signal at a difference frequency of two lasers. The beat frequency is defined by spacing between the laser modes and may be continuously tuned by current injection and/or temperature variation. Thus, the beat signal provides a continuously tunable microwave radiation. To form a train of short optical pulses, the beat signal is either further sent to a saturable absorber followed by a semiconductor optical amplifier, or sent directly into an optical compressor which includes a dispersion fiber. As a result, a duration of each impulse is compressed, and a train of short optical pulses is formed.