Saw modulator having optical power component for extended angular redirection of light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11243450-B2
Application number	US-201816150929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A light field generator system including a leaky-mode SAW modulator is disclosed. The modulator incorporates at least one optical power component, such as a concave mirror or volume grating having a non-zero diopter rating. In some embodiments, the system incorporates the at least one optical power component by embedding the optical power component within a substrate of the SAW modulator and/or by placing the optical power component upon a surface of the SAW modulator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A SAW modulator, including:
a first optical power component;
a substrate, in which the SAW modulator is fabricated;
a radio frequency drive circuit for providing radio frequency drive signals to the SAW modulator; and
a SAW transducer on a proximal face of the substrate that is driven by the radio frequency drive signals; and
a second optical power component that receives light from the first optical power component.

2. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component is embedded within a substrate of the SAW modulator.

3. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component has the function of a concave mirror.

4. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component is a volume grating or a volume holographic optical element.

5. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component directs light out of a distal face of the modulator.

6. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component directs light out of a proximal face of the modulator.

7. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the first optical power component has a power in the range of +/−100 to +/−10,000 diopters.

8. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the second optical power component is held on a spacer layer that is adjacent to the substrate.

9. The modulator of claim 8 , wherein the spacer layer is bonded to the substrate.

10. The modulator of claim 8 , wherein the spacer layer is bonded distal face of the substrate, which is opposite the proximal face.

11. The modulator of claim 1 , wherein the second optical power component is a diffractive lens on a distal face of the substrate.

12. The modulator of claim 1 , further comprising two or more optical power components located along a length of the modulator.

13. The modulator of claim 1 , further comprising a multi wavelength optical source that generates light over a range of wavelengths for input into the optical modulator.

14. A SAW modulator, including:
at least one optical power component;
a substrate, in which the SAW modulator is fabricated;
a radio frequency drive circuit for providing radio frequency drive signals to the SAW modulator; and
a SAW transducer on a proximal face of the substrate that is driven by the radio frequency drive signals;
wherein exit light angles θ vary over a range of greater than 45 degrees with frequency changes in the radio frequency drive signals.

15. The modulator of claim 14 , wherein the exit light angles θ vary over a range of greater than 90 degrees with frequency changes in the radio frequency drive signals.

16. The modulator of claim 14 , wherein the optical power component extends across the substrate.

17. A SAW modulator, including:
at least one optical power component;
a substrate, in which the SAW modulator is fabricated;
a radio frequency drive circuit for providing radio frequency drive signals to the SAW modulator; and
a SAW transducer on a proximal face of the substrate that is driven by the radio frequency drive signals;
wherein the optical power component directs light to exit from a distal face of the substrate, which is opposite the proximal face.

Assignees

• Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc

Inventors

• Favalora Gregg E
• Moebius Michael G
• Byrnes Steven J

Classifications

• G02F2201/305

  diffraction grating · CPC title

• G02F2201/34

  reflector · CPC title

• G02F1/335 Primary

  having an optical waveguide structure · CPC title