Methods and systems for optical beam steering
US10261389B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 22, 2017 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 22, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/70
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar dielectric lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes an output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, that guides the collimated beams in different directions out of the lens plane. A switch matrix controls which input port is illuminated and hence the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. And a tunable light source changes the wavelength to control the angle at which the collimated beam leaves the plane of the substrate. The device is very efficient, in part because the input port (and thus in-plane propagation direction) can be changed by actuating only log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. It can also be much simpler, smaller, and cheaper because it needs fewer control lines than a conventional optical phased array with the same resolution.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.