Phased array for optical beam control
US5151814A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 1991 |
| Grant date | Sep 29, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 18, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02F2203/24
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical beam scanner incorporating an array of beam deflection elements commonly controlled to steer an optical beam impingent on the array is described. The beam steering elements are arranged in the array as individually controlled elements and the deflection of the beam is accomplished by setting the phase tilt and the phase offset of each element according to a calculation which removes modulo 2.pi. phase shift from the required position relative to a flat plane. Thus, the array elements can be thin and need only supply about 2 radians of phase shift. These elements may be incorporated in a planar array using beam deflection elements such as liquid crystal beam deflectors by choosing a drive scheme representing either a blazed array or a flat piston array. Operation may be designed for a large range of light wavelengths and the system may efficiently accommodate a combination of the blazed and flat piston techniques to obtain beam deflection characteristics otherwise unavailable by the exclusive use of each individual technique. By use of the liquid crystal phased array approach, rapid, high accuracy, large area beam deflection is possible without the necessity of any moving…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.