Optical sensing system with a phase sensitive amplifier and associated methods
AssigneeHarris Corporation
InventorsKevin H. Smith, Christopher P. Visone, Ryan T. Glasser, Michael L. Silver, Lee M. Burberry, Peter A. Wasilousky
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Abstract
An optical sensing system includes a transmitter configured to transmit a free-space optical signal toward a target, and a receiver configured to receive a reflected free-space optical target signal from the target. The receiver includes a phase sensitive amplifier (PSA), a homodyne detector coupled downstream from the PSA, and a controller configured to adjust a phase of the PSA based upon the homodyne detector.
Claims27
An optical sensing system comprising:
- a transmitter configured to transmit a free-space optical signal toward a target;
- and
- a receiver configured to receive a reflected free-space optical target signal from the target, said receiver comprising
- a phase sensitive amplifier (PSA),
- a homodyne detector coupled downstream from said PSA, and
- a controller configured to adjust a phase of said PSA based upon said homodyne detector.
An optical sensing system comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive a reflected free-space optical target signal from a target, said receiver comprising
- a combiner configured to combine the reflected free-space optical target signal and an optical probe signal to provide a combined optical signal, with the optical probe signal being offset in frequency from a frequency of the reflected free-space optical target signal,
- a phase sensitive amplifier (PSA) coupled downstream from said combiner,
- a homodyne detector coupled downstream from said PSA, and
- a controller configured to measure a power level of the optical probe signal, and to adjust the phase of said PSA based on the measured power level.
A method for operating an optical sensing system comprising:
- transmitting a free-space optical signal toward a target;
- and
- operating a receiver to receive a reflected free-space optical target signal from the target, the operating comprising
- amplifying the reflected free-space optical target signal with a phase sensitive amplifier (PSA),
- detecting the amplified reflected free-space optical target signal using a homodyne detector coupled downstream from the PSA, and
- operating a controller to adjust a phase of the PSA based upon the detected amplified reflected free-space optical target signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.