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Zero optical path difference phased array for determining a direction of an incoherent optical source

  • US 10,534,063 B2
  • Filed: 03/21/2019
  • Issued: 01/14/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for ascertaining a direction to an incoherent optical source, the method comprising:

  • receiving light from the incoherent optical source by a first plurality of optical couplers;

    guiding the light received by the first plurality of optical couplers along a first plurality of optical paths through a first plurality of optical waveguides to a first optical port, one optical path per optical coupler, such that optical lengths of all the first plurality of optical paths are equal, within one coherence length at a bandwidth greater than about 0.1% plus a spacing between two maximally spaced-apart optical couplers of the first plurality of optical couplers;

    emitting the light by the first optical port toward an optical sensor;

    automatically adjusting a first plurality of dynamically tunable optical delay lines, each dynamically tunable optical delay line of the first plurality of dynamically tunable optical delay lines being disposed in a respective optical path of the first plurality of optical paths, thereby steering sensitivity of the first plurality optical couplers to the light;

    sensing intensity of the light by the first optical sensor, in relation to the steering; and

    automatically calculating the direction to the incoherent optical source, based on the intensity of the light and the steering.

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