Laser beam steering device and system including the same

• US 10,261,390 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sunil, Lee, Duhyun, Lee, Changbum, Choi, Byounglyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, Kaveh C
• Application Number:
  US15/686,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 385 8
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/2955 by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering controlled diffraction for optical waveguide switching G02F1/313
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/311 Cascade arrangement of plural switches
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3137 with intersecting or branching waveguides, e.g. X-switches and Y-junctions
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/06 integrated waveguide

Abstract

A laser beam steering device and a system including the same are provided. The laser beam steering device includes a waveguide through which a laser beam passes, and a cladding layer disposed on the waveguide. The cladding layer has a refractive index which changes according to an electrical signal applied thereto and thus a phase of a laser beam passing through the waveguide may be changed.

Claims

1. A laser beam steering device comprising:

a waveguide configured to guide a laser beam which passes through the waveguide; and

a cladding layer disposed on the waveguide and having a refractive index which changes according to an electrical signal applied to the cladding layer,

wherein the cladding layer modulates a phase of the laser beam passing through the waveguide by a change of the refractive index of the cladding layer.

2. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, further comprising a first conductive layer disposed on the waveguide.

3. The laser beam steering device of claim 2, wherein the cladding layer is disposed between the waveguide and the first conductive layer.

4. The laser beam steering device of claim 2, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the cladding layer and the first conductive layer.

5. The laser beam steering device of claim 2, further comprising a second conductive layer disposed under the waveguide, wherein the first conductive layer is disposed over the waveguide.

6. The laser beam steering device of claim 5, further comprising an insulating layer disposed between the waveguide and the second conductive layer.

7. The laser beam steering device of claim 5, further comprising:

a first insulating layer disposed between the cladding layer and the first conductive layer; and

a second insulating layer disposed between the waveguide and the second conductive layer.

8. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer disposed on the cladding layer.

9. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the cladding layer comprises:

a first cladding layer disposed on an upper surface of the waveguide; and

a second cladding layer disposed on a lower surface of the waveguide.

10. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the cladding layer surrounds the waveguide.

11. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the cladding layer comprises an oxide semiconductor.

12. The laser beam steering device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises silicon or silicon nitride.

13. A laser beam steering device comprising:

a plurality of modulation units, each of the plurality of modulation units comprising;

a waveguide configured to guide a laser beam which passes through the waveguide; and

a cladding layer disposed on the waveguide and having a refractive index which changes according to an electrical signal applied to the cladding layer,

wherein the cladding layer modulates a phase of the laser beam passing through the waveguide by a change of the refractive index of the cladding layer.

14. The laser beam steering device of claim 13, further comprising a substrate on which the plurality of modulation units are one-dimensionally arranged.

15. The laser beam steering device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of modulation units are configured to steer the laser beam by forming a phase profile changing according to time.

16. The laser beam steering device of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of modulation units further comprises a first conductive layer disposed on the cladding layer.

17. The laser beam steering device of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of modulation units further comprises a second conductive layer disposed under the waveguide.

18. The laser beam steering device of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of modulation units further comprises an insulating layer disposed on the cladding layer.

19. A system comprising:

a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam;

a laser beam steering device configured to steer the laser beam emitted by the laser light source; and

a detector configured to detect the laser beam steered by the laser beam steering device,

wherein the laser beam steering device comprises a plurality of modulation units, each of the plurality of modulation units comprising;

a waveguide configured to guide the laser beam which passes through the waveguide; and

a cladding layer disposed on the waveguide and having a refractive index which changes according to an electrical signal applied to the cladding layer,

wherein the cladding layer modulates a phase of the laser beam passing through the waveguide by a change of the refractive index of the cladding layer.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the laser beam steering device further comprises a plurality of beam splitters configured to split the laser beam emitted by the laser light source into a plurality of laser beams and input the plurality of laser beams to the plurality of modulation units.