This invention exploits the non-linearities of optical Mach-Zehnder (MZ) electrooptic modulators to enhance small signal dynamic range at higher bandwidths. A linear photodiode (PD) converts the amplified optical signal output from the MZ back to an electrical signal completing an Electrical-Optical-Electrical (EOE) conversion cycle. The dynamic range can be further enhanced by daisy chaining…
![MonoTel Compact Monolithic Space Telescope](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/MonoTel%20Compact%20Monolithic%20Space%20Telescope.png?itok=G-ETi6O8)
Rapid monolith development at scale is achieved through use of a functionally equivalent optic simulant made from a low-cost material to substitute the functional optic. Monolith optical performance is affected not only by thermal expansion but also by temperature inhomogeneity due to the temperature dependence of refractive index.
![MonoTel Compact Monolithic Space Telescope](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2024-01/MonoTel%20Compact%20Monolithic%20Space%20Telescope.png?itok=G-ETi6O8)
This invention achieves both a wider field of view and faster f-number within a monolithic substrate by incorporating an aspheric convex refractive first surface and a planar aspheric field corrector surface on the final refractive surface. These two refractive surfaces work in conjunction with a concave aspheric primary and convex aspheric secondary mirror (e.g. Cassegrain type) to improve…
![Serrated Light Illumination for Deflection-Encoded Recording (SLIDER)](/sites/default/files/styles/scale_exact_400x400_/public/2022-06/Serrated%20Light%20Illumination%20for%20Deflection-Encoded%20Recording%20%20%28SLIDER%29.jpg?itok=8Pa6FW-h)
The SLIDER deflector includes a waveguide, a serrated mask positioned above the waveguide cladding, and a synchronized pump beam. The pump beam illuminates the serrated mask with a short pulse and transfers its pattern to the guiding layer where it imprints a sequence of prisms. The prisms are activated via nonlinear optical effects in the semiconductor and persist for the duration of the…