Laser beam phase-modulation device, laser beam steering device and laser beam steering system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11474411-B2
Application number	US-202017001739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2020
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

A laser beam phase-modulation device, a laser beam steering device, and a laser beam steering system including the same are provided. The laser beam phase-modulation device includes a refractive index conversion layer having a refractive index that is changed according to an electrical signal applied thereto, the refractive index conversion layer including an upper surface on which the laser beam is incident and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, at least one antenna pattern embedded in the upper surface of the refractive index conversion layer, and a metal mirror layer provided under the lower surface of the refractive index conversion layer and configured to reflect the laser beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for modulating a phase of a laser beam, the device comprising:
a refractive index conversion layer having a refractive index that changes according to an electrical signal applied thereto, the refractive index conversion layer comprising an upper surface on which the laser beam is incident and a lower surface opposite the upper surface;
at least one antenna pattern embedded in the upper surface of the refractive index conversion layer;
an insulating layer disposed between the refractive index conversion layer and the at least one antenna pattern; and
a metal mirror layer provided under the lower surface of the refractive index conversion layer and configured to reflect the laser beam;
wherein the at least one antenna pattern has an upper surface, a lower surface, and side surfaces,
wherein the refractive index conversion layer is provided on the side surfaces and the lower surface of the at least one antenna pattern,
wherein the at least one antenna pattern has at least one of a metal, an alloy, and a metal nitride, and
wherein the insulating layer is disposed to cover the lower surface, and the entire side surfaces of the at least one antenna pattern.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer comprises at least one of silicon dioxide (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), hafnium dioxide (HfO2), hafnium silicon dioxide (HfSiO2), and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2).

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index conversion layer comprises an oxide semiconductor.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the oxide semiconductor comprises at least one of Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO), Indium-Zinc-Oxide (IZO), Ga—In—Zn-Oxide (GIZO), Al—Zn-Oxide (AZO), Ga—Zn-Oxide (GZO), and ZnO.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one antenna pattern comprises at least one of silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), platinum (Pt), titanium nitride (TiN), and tantalum nitride (TaN).

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sunil
• Shin Changgyun
• Choi Byounglyong

Classifications

• H01S3/0071 Primary

  Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction · CPC title

• G02F1/011

  in optical waveguides, not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• G02B6/2848

  having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms · CPC title

• G02B6/1226

  involving surface plasmon interaction · CPC title

• H01S3/08077

  Pump induced waveguiding, i.e. the pump induces refractive index change in the laser medium to guide the amplified light, e.g. gain- or loss- guiding or thermally induced refractive index change · CPC title