Superlattice electro-optic device including reconfigurable optical elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12474602-B2
Application number	US-202418601291-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2024
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A method is provided for operating one or more one solid-state electro-optic device to provide an electrically switching shutter. The method includes forming an alternating stack of first semiconductor layers having a first dopant and second semiconductor layers having a second dopant to form at least one superlattice semiconductor device. The method further includes applying to the at least one superlattice semiconductor device a first voltage to induce a transparent state of the alternating stack such that light is transmitted through the alternating stack, and applying to the at least one superlattice semiconductor device a second voltage different from the first voltage to induce an opaque state of the alternating stack such that light is inhibited from passing through the alternating stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A solid-state electro-optic device comprising:
a plurality of superlattice semiconductor devices arranged on a wafer which define an optic grid, each superlattice semiconductor device including an alternating stack of first semiconductor layers having a first dopant and second semiconductor layers having a second dopant, wherein applying different voltages to the superlattice semiconductor devices located at different positions of the optic grid produces a coded aperture having a variable pattern, and wherein the first semiconductor layers include a patterned portion defining a first transparent transitioning region between a first pair of electrical connectors, and a second transparent transitioning region between a second pair of electrical connectors.

2 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical connector coupled to each of the superlattice semiconductor devices to receive the different voltages.

3 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors are configured to receive a first voltage to induce a first optical state of the first and second transparent transitioning regions such that a first amount of light is transmitted through the alternating stack.

4 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 3 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors are configured to receive a second voltage to induce a second optical state to the first transparent transitioning region, while maintaining the first state of the second transparent transitioning region such that a second amount of light different from the first amount is transmitted through the alternating stack.

5 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 4 , wherein the first optical state is a transparent state and the second optical state is an opaque state such that the second amount of light is less than the first amount of light.

6 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 4 , wherein the first optical state is an opaque state and the second optical state is a transparent state such that the second amount of light is greater than the first amount of light.

7 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor layers comprise a semiconductor material doped with a p-type dopant and the second semiconductor layers comprise a semiconductor material doped with an n-type dopant, and wherein the second pair of electrical connectors includes the second electrical connector and a third electrical connector connected to the first semiconductor layers.

8 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor layers comprise a semiconductor material doped with an n-type dopant and the second semiconductor layers comprise a semiconductor material doped with a p-type dopant, and wherein the second pair of electrical connectors includes the second electrical connector and a third electrical connector connected to the first semiconductor layers.

9 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 1 , wherein the variable pattern defines a circular profile.

10 . A solid-state electro-optic device comprising:
a plurality of superlattice semiconductor devices on a wafer to define an optic grid, each superlattice semiconductor device including an alternating stack of first semiconductor layers having a first dopant and second semiconductor layers having a second dopant; and an electrical connector coupled to each of semiconductor devices, the electrical connector configured to apply different voltages to the superlattice semiconductor devices located at different positions of the optic grid to define a pattern of a coded aperture, wherein changing the voltage applied to at least one of the superlattice semiconductor devices dynamically changes the pattern of the coded aperture in real-time.

11 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of superlattice semiconductor devices includes:
a first superlattice device located at a first position of the optic grid and a second superlattice device located at a second position of the optic grid different from the first position.

12 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 11 , wherein the first superlattice device is configured to receive a first voltage and the second superlattice device is configured to receive a second voltage independently from the second superlattice device during a first time period to define a first pattern of the coded aperture.

13 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 12 , wherein adjusting at least one or both of the first and second voltages defines a second pattern of the coded aperture different from the first pattern.

14 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 12 , further comprising a third superlattice device located at a third position of the optic grid, the third superlattice device being configured to receive a third voltage independently from the voltages applied to the first and second superlattice devices and defines a second pattern of the coded aperture different from the first pattern.

15 . The solid state electro-optic device of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern has one of a circular profile or a semi-circular profile.

16 . The solid-state electro-optic device of claim 10 , further comprising a processor, configured to receives at least one input indicative of a desired pattern of the coded aperture,
wherein the processor controls an output of the different voltages to generate the desired pattern in response to receiving the at least one input.

17 . The solid state electro-optic device of claim 10 , wherein optic grid is configured to operate as a dynamic polarizer to dynamically vary transmission of one or more optical polarizations.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Mustafa Jamal I
• Wehner Justin Gordon Adams
• Koontz Christopher R

Classifications

• G02F2203/52

  Optical limiters · CPC title

• G02F2203/11

  involving infrared radiation · CPC title

• G02F2203/12

  spatial light modulator · CPC title

• G02F1/017 Primary

  Structures with periodic or quasi periodic potential variation, e.g. superlattices, quantum wells · CPC title