Array of sub-aperture refractive elements for steering a light beam
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising an arrangement of sub-aperture refractive tapered projections for adjusting an angle of a light beam with reduced diffractive losses, the apparatus comprising:
- a first row of the projections, configured to receive light at a first base interconnecting the projections in the first row, and provide refracted light toward a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the first row, wherein an individual one of the sub-projections in the first row includes a planar surface that is configured to refractively adjust an angle of a corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam and decrease a size of the corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam; and
a second row of the projections, configured to receive light from a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the second row, which are arranged facing corresponding projections of the first row, the second row configured to provide further refracted light in a direction of a second base interconnecting the projections in the second row, wherein a corresponding individual one of the projections in the second row includes a planar surface that is configured to receive a sub-aperture portion of the light beam from a corresponding individual one of the sub-aperture refractive elements in the first row, further adjust an angle of the received corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam, and counteract a decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam caused by the individual one of the sub-aperture refractive elements in the first row.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present subject matter includes apparatus and techniques that can be used to reduce losses in systems that perform steering of a light beam. Such steering can be performed in a non-mechanical manner, such as using an electrically-controlled optical structure (e.g., an electro-optical structure). For example, a waveguide can be used to adjust an angle of a light beam (e.g., steer the light beam). The waveguide can include a core, a cladding including an electro-optic material, and electrodes defining an arrangement that, when selectively energized, adjusts an index of refraction of the electro-optic material. In particular, electrode arrangements as described herein can be used to reduce losses, such as losses that would occur due to diffraction.
53 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising an arrangement of sub-aperture refractive tapered projections for adjusting an angle of a light beam with reduced diffractive losses, the apparatus comprising:
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a first row of the projections, configured to receive light at a first base interconnecting the projections in the first row, and provide refracted light toward a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the first row, wherein an individual one of the sub-projections in the first row includes a planar surface that is configured to refractively adjust an angle of a corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam and decrease a size of the corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam; and a second row of the projections, configured to receive light from a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the second row, which are arranged facing corresponding projections of the first row, the second row configured to provide further refracted light in a direction of a second base interconnecting the projections in the second row, wherein a corresponding individual one of the projections in the second row includes a planar surface that is configured to receive a sub-aperture portion of the light beam from a corresponding individual one of the sub-aperture refractive elements in the first row, further adjust an angle of the received corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam, and counteract a decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portion of the light beam caused by the individual one of the sub-aperture refractive elements in the first row. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A waveguide for adjusting an angle of a light beam in an in-plane direction, the waveguide comprising:
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a waveguide core shaped to guide a light beam along a length of the waveguide; a cladding including an electro-optic material capable of an interaction with a portion of the light beam; electrodes shaped and arranged to adjust an angle of the light beam in an in-plane direction by adjusting an index of refraction of the electro-optic material, wherein the arrangement of electrodes includes; a first row of projections interconnected by a first base and including a planar surface configured to adjust an angle of corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam and decrease a size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam by adjusting an index of refraction of the corresponding electro-optic material; and a second row of projections interconnected by a second base and including a planar surface configured to further adjust an angle of corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam and counteract a decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam caused by the first row of projections by adjusting an index of refraction of the corresponding electro-optic material. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of using an arrangement of sub-aperture refractive tapered projections for adjusting an angle of a light beam with reduced diffractive losses, the method comprising:
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receiving light at a first base interconnecting projections in a first row, and providing via planar surfaces, refracted light toward a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the first row; receiving light from a direction of distal peaks of projections of a second row, which are arranged facing corresponding projections of the first row and, using the second row, providing via planar surfaces, further refracted light in a direction of a second base interconnecting the projections in the second row; providing a first electrode shaped to provide the base and projections in the first row by adjusting an index of refraction of a corresponding portion of an electro-optic material in a cladding of a waveguide and a second electrode shaped to provide the base and projections in the second row by adjusting an index of refraction of a corresponding portion of the electro-optic material in the cladding of the waveguide; and applying a full steering voltage to the first electrode to cause corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam to decrease in size to provide a separation between adjacent sub-aperture portions of the light beam, and applying an intermediate steering or full steering voltage to the second electrode to counteract the decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam to reduce the separation between adjacent sub-aperture portions of the light beam. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification