System including beam steering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11092691-B2
Application number	US-201816041155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2018
Priority date	Feb 2, 2018
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A system including a beam steering device, includes a substrate, at least one light source disposed on the substrate and configured to irradiate at least one light beam, and optical phased arrays disposed on a same plane of the substrate and configured to adjust a direction of the at least one light beam that is irradiated, to output a first plurality of light beams to an object. Each of the optical phased arrays has a different view angle range. The system further includes light detecting elements configured to detect a second plurality of light beams that are reflected by the object to which the first plurality of light beams is output. The light detecting elements respectively correspond to the optical phased arrays.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a substrate;
at least one light source disposed on the substrate and configured to irradiate at least one light beam;
optical phased arrays disposed on a same plane of the substrate and configured to adjust a direction of the at least one light beam that is irradiated, to output a first plurality of light beams to an object, wherein each of the optical phased arrays has a different view angle range and comprises:
a waveguide through which the at least one light beam that is irradiated is transmitted;
a beam splitter configured to split the at least one light beam transmitted through the waveguide; and
a phase shifter configured to shift a phase of the at least one light beam that is split; and

light detecting elements configured to detect a second plurality of light beams that are reflected by the object to which the first plurality of light beams is output, wherein the light detecting elements respectively correspond to the optical phased arrays.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the optical phased arrays is independently operated, and
wherein each of the second plurality of light beams is detected using a respective one of the light detecting elements that corresponds to a respective one of the optical phased arrays.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna including a grating configured to adjust the direction of the at least one light beam of which the phase is shifted.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the optical phased arrays comprises an optical amplifier configured to amplify the at least one light beam transmitted through the waveguide.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase shifter comprises:
a portion of the waveguide disposed on the substrate; and
a cladding layer disposed on the portion of the waveguide and configured to modulate the phase of the at least one light beam that is split, based on an electrical signal, wherein the cladding layer comprises an oxide semiconductor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source is further configured to emit a laser beam having a convertible wavelength.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of lights sources respectively corresponding to the optical phased arrays.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light sources comprises one light source that is jointly used with respect to the optical phased arrays.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a plurality of light sources that are combined to be used with respect to one of the optical phased arrays.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of light beams is output to a different region adjacent to the object.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of light beams is output along a different scanning direction on the object.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light sources comprises:
a first waveguide disposed on the substrate;
a second waveguide disposed on the substrate and in parallel to the first waveguide;
a first optical amplifier disposed on the first waveguide;
a second optical amplifier disposed on the second waveguide, the first optical amplifier being configured to generate and amplify light;
a first ring resonator and a second ring resonator that are disposed on the substrate and interposed between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, each of the first ring resonator and the second ring resonator comprising:
a ring; and
a heating element surrounding the ring,

wherein the first ring resonator is configured to generate heat to change a wavelength of the light amplified by the first optical amplifier,
the second optical amplifier is configured to amplify the light of which the wavelength is changed by the first ring resonator, and
the second ring resonator is configured to generate heat to change the wavelength of the light amplified by the second optical amplifier.

13. The system of claim 4 , wherein the optical amplifier comprises:
a first conductive layer;
a lower cladding layer disposed on the first conductive layer;
an active layer disposed on the lower cladding layer;
an upper cladding layer disposed on the active layer, each of the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer comprising a semiconductor material having a band gap that is greater than that of the active layer; and
a second conductive layer disposed on the upper cladding layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shim Dongsik

Classifications

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G01S17/931 Primary

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G02B27/0087

  Phased arrays · CPC title

• G01S17/42 Primary

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G02F1/2955 Primary

  by controlled diffraction or phased-array beam steering (controlled diffraction for optical waveguide switching G02F1/313) · CPC title