Multi-directional optical receiver and method

A method of receiving optical radiation, the method comprising:

• directly collecting optical radiation from a scene at a plurality of fused fiber optic bundles each including a bundle of unordered non-imaging optical fibers;
• propagating the collected optical radiation along a length of a multi-mode optic cable coupled to each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles;
• selectively controlling propagation of the collected optical radiation with a fiber optic switch coupled to the multi-mode fiber optic cable;
• and
• receiving the collected optical radiation at a single unit cell of a photo-detector, the photo-detector coupled to the multi-mode fiber optic cable, wherein in combination a field of view of each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles collectively defines an omnidirectional field of view of the photo-detector.

An optical system comprising:

• an optical source configured to emit optical radiation toward a scene;
• a plurality of fused fiber optic bundles, each fused fiber optic bundle including a bundle of unordered non-imaging optical fibers, and each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles being positioned to directly collect optical radiation reflected from the scene;
• a multi-mode fiber optic cable coupled to each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles, the multi-mode fiber optic cable being configured to propagate the collected optical radiation from each of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles along a length of the multi-mode fiber optic cable;
• a photo-detector including a single unit cell, the photo-detector coupled to the multi-mode fiber optic cable and configured to receive the collected optical radiation from the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles at the single unit cell, wherein in combination a field of view of each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles collectively defines a distributed aperture of the optical system;
• and
• a fiber optic switch coupled to the multi-mode fiber optic cable, the fiber optic switch being configured to selectively control propagation of the collected optical radiation to the photo-detector.