Wide steering-range motionless optical beam steering device, and methods of manufacture
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a polarization insensitive wave guide switching means, comprising;
a wave guide substrate;
at least one planar wave guide attached to the wave guide substrate;
a liquid crystal material attached to the wave guide substrate, the liquid crystal material in operative optical contact with the at least one planar wave guide, the liquid crystal material having a first and second state, wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the first state matches the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide, and wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the second state does not match the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide;
a means for applying an electric field across the liquid crystal material, wherein the liquid crystal material switches between the first state mid the second state as the electric field is applied;
wherein a beam of light in any polarization propagating in the wave guide is not reflected when the beam of light in any polarization reaches the liquid crystal material in the first state, and wherein the beam of light in any polarization is reflected when the liquid crystal material is in the second state.
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Abstract
Electro-optically operated transmitters containing a wave guide liquid crystal beam steering device in series of fine beam steering devices as well as electrically switchable mirror are disclosed. The wave guide beam steering device is constructed on a planar lightwave circuit that contains a plurality of liquid crystal switching elements intersecting a plurality of optical wave guides and one main wave guide that has a curvature for light propagation. The transceiver is capable of continuously steering multiple beams of light into separate independent directions with a field-of-regard close to 4π. The resulted optical transmitter device is motionless, polarization sensitive or insensitive, stable within the operational spectral region, and stable versus temperature. When an optical receiver is integrated, the transmitters become transceivers. The invention also includes the methods for manufacturing the wave guide beam steering device.
22 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a polarization insensitive wave guide switching means, comprising; a wave guide substrate; at least one planar wave guide attached to the wave guide substrate; a liquid crystal material attached to the wave guide substrate, the liquid crystal material in operative optical contact with the at least one planar wave guide, the liquid crystal material having a first and second state, wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the first state matches the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide, and wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the second state does not match the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide; a means for applying an electric field across the liquid crystal material, wherein the liquid crystal material switches between the first state mid the second state as the electric field is applied; wherein a beam of light in any polarization propagating in the wave guide is not reflected when the beam of light in any polarization reaches the liquid crystal material in the first state, and wherein the beam of light in any polarization is reflected when the liquid crystal material is in the second state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for producing a polarization insensitive wave guide switching element, comprising:
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a) providing a wave guide substrate; b) attaching at least one planar wave guide to the wave guide substrate; c) attaching a liquid crystal material to the wave guide substrate, the liquid crystal material in operative optical contact with the at least one planar wave guide, the liquid crystal material having a first and second state, wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the first state matches the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide and wherein the index of refraction of the liquid crystal material in the second state does not match the index of refraction of the at least one planar wave guide; and d) providing a means for applying an electric field across the liquid crystal material, wherein the liquid crystal material switches between the first state and the second state as the electric field is applied, wherein a beam of light in any polarization propagating in the wave guide is not reflected when the beam of light in any polarization reaches the liquid crystal material in the first state, and wherein the beam of light in any polarization is reflected when the liquid crystal material is in the second state. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification