Integrated Lens-Enabled LIDAR System

Optical beam steering is essential in various technology applications such as LIDAR systems, free-space optical communications, and even biotechnological applications like microscopy. It enables control over the direction of light propagation through an optical system. Significant issues with conventional approaches stem from the use of bulky mechanical systems or complex phased-arrays to steer optical beams that can be large, slow, and expensive. Additionally, phased arrays typically require a complex control system, increasing the size, cost, and complexity of the overall system. The need for fast, compact, and economic beam steering technology is largely unmet.

Technology Description

This technology is an integrated optical beam steering device featuring a planar dielectric lens, an output coupler, a switch matrix, and a tunable light source. The dielectric lens collimates beams from various inputs in different directions within its plane, while the output coupler, such as a grating or photonic crystal, guides these beams out of the lens plane in tailored directions. The switch matrix functions as a control system, determining the input port which is illuminated and thus governing the in-plane propagation direction of the collimated beam. A tunable light source adjusts the wavelength, allowing control over the angle at which the collimated beam exits the plane of the substrate. The technology stands out because of its efficiency and simplicity. The direction of beam propagation can be altered by only actuating log2 N of the N switches in the switch matrix. This feature, along with the fact that the device requires fewer control lines than a typical optical phased array, makes it simpler, smaller, and more cost-effective, while maintaining the same level of resolution.