Solid state LIDAR circuit with waveguides tunable to separate phase offsets
US9575341B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 28, 2014 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 8, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B2006/12147
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A solid state photonics circuit having a liquid crystal (LC) layer for beam steering. The LC layer can provide tuning of an array of waveguides by controlling the application of voltage to the liquid crystal. The application of voltage to the liquid crystal can be controlled to perform beam steering with the light signal based on different tuning in each of the waveguides of the array. The waveguides are disposed in a substrate having an oxide or other insulating layer with an opening. The opening in the oxide layer exposes a portion of a path of the array of waveguides. The waveguides are exposed to the liquid crystal through the oxide opening, which allows the voltage changes to the liquid crystal to tune the optical signals in the waveguides.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.