Beam generation and steering with integrated optical circuits for light detection and ranging

• US 8,311,374 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Washington
• Original Assignee: University of Washington
• Inventors: Hochberg, Michael J., Baehr-Jones, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Tina
• Application Number:
  US12/511,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20100187442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 385/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/42 Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates indirect measurement G01S17/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4814 of transmitters alone
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• 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: G21K 1/025 using multiple collimators, e.g. Bucky screens; other devices for eliminating undesired or dispersed radiation

Abstract

An integrated photonic beam steering device includes a planar photonic substrate. An input waveguide is configured to accept an electromagnetic energy from a source of electromagnetic energy radiation. A first splitter is configured to split the electromagnetic radiation into one or more paths. One or more phased array rows are optically coupled to each of the one or more paths. Each phased array row includes a row splitter configured to split the each of the one or more paths into two or more row paths. Two or more phase modulators are each optically coupled respectively to each of the two or more row paths. Two or more output couplers are optically coupled respectively to each phase modulator output of the two or more phase modulators. The two or more output couplers are configured to radiate a steered photonic beam away from the integrated photonic beam steering device.

Claims

1. An integrated photonic beam steering device comprising:

a planar photonic substrate;

an input waveguide disposed on said planar photonic substrate and configured to accept electromagnetic energy from a source of electromagnetic energy radiation;

a first splitter disposed on said planar photonic substrate and optically coupled to said input waveguide and configured to split said electromagnetic radiation into one or more paths; and

one or more phased array rows disposed on said planar photonic substrate and optically coupled to each of said one or more paths, each phased array row comprising;

a row splitter configured to split said each of said one or more paths into two or more row paths;

two or more phase modulators, each of said two or more phase modulators optically coupled respectively via a row waveguide to each of said two or more row paths, each of said two or more phase modulators having a phase modulator output; and

two or more output couplers optically coupled respectively to each phase modulator output of said two or more phase modulators, each of said two or more output couplers configured to emit electromagnetic radiation away from said substrate, said two or more output couplers configured to radiate a steered photonic beam in a desired direction away from said integrated photonic beam steering device.

2. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said two or more output couplers comprises a vertical coupler.

3. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 2, wherein said vertical coupler comprises a grating coupler.

4. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 3, wherein said grating coupler comprises a collection of curved trenches.

5. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 3, wherein said grating coupler comprises a collection of scattering sources.

6. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 2, wherein said vertical coupler comprises an etched facet.

7. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 2, wherein said vertical coupler comprises an etched angle.

8. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said two or more output couplers comprises an edge coupler.

9. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said edge coupler comprises a cleaved and polished surface.

10. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said edge coupler comprises a taper on an end of a waveguide.

11. A stacked integrated photonic beam steering device comprising a plurality of integrated photonic beam steering devices as defined by claim 10 and configured to emit an electromagnetic beam having phase coherent optical modes, said stacked integrated photonic beam steering device configured to provide a beam that is steerable in two orthogonal directions.

12. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said two or more phase modulators comprise a free carrier based integrated optical phase modulator.

13. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said two or more phase modulators comprise a nonlinear polymer integrated optical phase modulator.

14. The integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said steered photonic beam comprises at least one wavelength in wavelength range of about 200 nm to 200 μ

m.

15. An electronic countermeasure system comprising said integrated photonic beam steering device of claim 1, wherein said steered photonic beam comprises an electronic countermeasure signal.

16. The electronic countermeasure system of claim 15, wherein said electronic countermeasure signal is configured to confuse a missile guidance system.

17. The electronic countermeasure system of claim 15, wherein said electronic countermeasure signal is configured to confuse a selected one of detection and surveillance system.

18. An integrated photonic beam steering system, comprising:

a source of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength range in a wavelength range of about 200 nm to 200 μ

m; and

an integrated photonic beam steering device according to claim 1 coupled to said source of electromagnetic radiation and configured to transmit a phase arrayed optical electromagnetic signal suitable for a selected one of LIDAR and LADAR.

19. The integrated photonic beam steering system of claim 18, further comprising:

a detector configured to receive a return optical electromagnetic signal, configured to provide phase detection, and configured to measure a delay between said transmitted phase arrayed optical electromagnetic signal and said received return optical electromagnetic signal and

a system output configured to provide a measure of said delay.

20. The integrated photonic beam steering system of claim 19, wherein said detector is phase sensitive.

21. The integrated photonic beam steering system of claim 19, wherein said detector is disposed on said planar substrate.