Large Scale Steerable Coherent Optical Switched Arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019324214-A1
Application number	US-201916457158-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Oct 24, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.

First claim

1 . An optical structure comprising:
a light source; a plurality of optical emitters; an optical power distribution network optically connecting the light source to the plurality of optical emitters, said optical power distribution network including a plurality of individually controllable switches; wherein said switches are configured such that optical power emitted from the light source that enters the optical power distribution network will be emitted from a selected subset of the plurality of optical emitters.

2 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels of switches and switches at a same level are all switched simultaneously.

3 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical emitters are arranged along a common arc.

4 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels and switches at one level operate at a speed different from the speed of operation for switches at a different level.

5 . The optical structure of claim 4 wherein the switches proximate to the plurality of emitters operate at the slowest speed(s).

6 .- 8 . (canceled)

9 . The optical structure of claim 1 further comprising an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power.

10 . The optical structure of claim 9 wherein the optical element comprises a lens.

11 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network is a tree network and the switches include at least one of: one or more 1×2 switches, one or more 1×3 switches, one or more 1×4 switches, one or more 2×2 switches, or one or more 2×3 switches.

12 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network and the plurality of emitters are fabricated on a common substrate.

13 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network, the plurality of emitters, and the light source are all resident on a common substrate.

14 . The optical structure of claim 1 further comprising a coherent receiver.

15 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein each one of individually controllable switches is one selected from the group consisting of thermo-optic and electro-optic switch(es).

16 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of optical emitters is one selected from the group consisting of: an optical grating, end-fire facet, plasmonic emitter, metal antennae, and mirror facet.

17 .- 25 . (canceled)

26 . The optical structure of claim 10 wherein the optical element further comprises a grating and the grating is positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power between one of the plurality of optical emitters and the lens.

27 . The optical structure of claim 10 wherein the lens is configured and positioned to focus optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.

28 . The optical structure of claim 9 wherein the optical element is configured and positioned to receive optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.

29 . The optical structure of claim 9 wherein the optical element comprises at least one grating.

30 . The optical structure of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of gratings, where two or more of the plurality of optical emitters is each configured to direct optical power to a corresponding one of the plurality of gratings.

31 . The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical emitters are configured to emit from positions arranged over two dimensions of a plane.

32 . The optical structure of claim 31 further comprising an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power and configured to produce a substantially flat focal plane coincident with the plane over which the positions of the plurality of optical emitters are arranged.

33 . An optical structure comprising:
a first waveguide; a plurality of optical emitters; an optical power distribution network optically connecting the plurality of optical emitters to the first waveguide, said optical power distribution network including a plurality of individually controllable switches;
wherein said switches are configured such that optical power will be received into the first waveguide from a selected subset of the plurality of optical emitters.

Assignees

• Analog Photonics LLC

Inventors

• Hosseini Ehsan
• Watts Michael

Classifications

• G02B6/3548

  1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs · CPC title

• G02B6/3512

  the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror · CPC title

• G02B6/3596

  With planar waveguide arrangement, i.e. in a substrate, regardless if actuating mechanism is outside the substrate · CPC title

• G02B6/3556 Primary

  NxM switch, i.e. regular arrays of switches elements of matrix type constellation · CPC title

• G02F1/011

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