Stress-optic phase shifter array for Lidar and other applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11947044-B2
Application number	US-201916964163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2019
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

An optical element for transmitting a light beam includes a waveguide configured to transmit the light beam from an input end to an output end and having an optical property that can be modified by deformation of the waveguide. A phase-shifter is affixed to the waveguide and is operable in response to a control signal to mechanically deform the waveguide sufficient to induce a phase shift in the light beam transmitted therethrough. The phase-shifter can include a PZT layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical element for transmitting a light beam comprising:
a waveguide configured to propagate the light beam from an input end to an output end, said waveguide having an optical property that can be modified by deformation of said waveguide; and
a phase-shifter affixed to said waveguide, said phase-shifter configured and operable in response to a control signal to mechanically deform or deflect said waveguide in response to a control signal sufficient to induce a phase shift in the light beam propagated therethrough,
wherein:
said waveguide is mounted on a substrate,
said phase-shifter includes a first phase-shifter component affixed between said waveguide and said substrate and a second phase-shifter component affixed to said waveguide on a surface of said waveguide opposite said substrate, and
said substrate is configured to define an air gap between said substrate and said second phase-shifter component.

2. The optical element of claim 1 , wherein said optical property of said waveguide is the refractive index.

3. The optical element of claim 1 , wherein said phase-shifter includes a piezo-electric component configured to deform in response to an electrical signal as said control signal.

4. The optical element of claim 3 , wherein said piezo-electric component includes:
a layer of a piezo-electric material; and
two electrodes connectable to an electrical source.

5. The optical element of claim 4 , wherein said piezo-electric material is selected from lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and aluminum nitride (AlN).

6. The optical element of claim 1 , wherein:
said waveguide includes a plurality of waveguides separated by an air gap; and
said phase-shifter includes a plurality of phase-shifters, each affixed to a corresponding one of said plurality of waveguides, and each configured and operable to deform or deflect the respective waveguide in response to a respective control signal.

7. The optical element of claim 6 , further comprising:
optics at an output end of said plurality of waveguides configured to receive and combine the light beams propagated through each of said plurality of waveguides into a single transmitted light beam; and
a controller operable to provide a separate control signal to each of said plurality of phase-shifters to induce a separate phase shift in the corresponding waveguide, to thereby steer the single transmitted light beam.

8. The optical element of claim 1 , wherein said first phase-shifter is affixed to said waveguide and is wholly contained within said air gap.

9. An optical element for transmitting a light beam comprising:
a waveguide configured to propagate the light beam from an input end to an output end, said waveguide having an optical property that can be modified by deformation of said waveguide; and
a phase-shifter affixed to said waveguide, said phase-shifter configured and operable in response to a control signal to mechanically deform or deflect said waveguide in response to a control signal sufficient to induce a phase shift in the light beam propagated therethrough,
wherein:
said waveguide is mounted on a substrate, and
said phase-shifter is affixed to said waveguide on a surface of said waveguide that is substantially perpendicular to a surface of said waveguide that is mounted to said substrate.

10. The optical element of claim 9 , wherein said phase-shifter includes first and second phase-shifter components affixed to opposite sides of said waveguide.

11. The optical element of claim 1 , wherein said waveguide includes a waveguide core formed of an optically transmissive material, said core surrounded by cladding that is optically non-transmissive relative to said waveguide core, wherein said core and said cladding are configured to be mechanically deformed by said phase-shifter.

12. The optical element of claim 11 , wherein:
said optical property of said waveguide is the refractive index;
said waveguide core has a core refractive index; and
said waveguide cladding has a cladding refractive index that is less than the core refractive index.

13. The optical element of claim 11 , wherein said waveguide includes two waveguide cores.

14. The optical element of claim 9 , wherein said phase-shifter includes a piezo-electric component configured to deform in response to an electrical signal as said control signal.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Behroozpour Behnam
• Yee Seow Yuen
• Wojciechowski Ken
• Wang Ning

Classifications

• G01S7/4818 Primary

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• G01S7/4814

  of transmitters alone · CPC title

• G02F1/0134 Primary

  in optical waveguides · CPC title

• G01S17/931

  of land vehicles · CPC title

• G02F1/2955

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