Vescent Photonics, Inc.

Analog Devices,inc.

Scott Dennis Rommel

Scott Robert Davis

Michael Howard Anderson

Michael Ziemkiewicz

Andrew William Sparks

Tyler Adam Dunn

Derek Gann

David Edward Fish

Benjamin Luey

George Farca

Seth Trevor Johnson

A Liquid Crystal Waveguide (LCW) system can provide sub-aperture incoupling or outcoupling of light having an input wavelength and input beamsize defining an aperture characteristic of the system. A Liquid Crystal Waveguide (LCW) can include a generally planar LCW core to receive light via a light input zone for communication toward a light output zone. Sub-aperture interfacial light couplers can be planarly arranged in or parallel to the planar LCW core in the light input zone or the light output zone. Sub-aperture interfacial light couplers can include teeth, prisms, or facets, a photonic crystal metasurface, or a geometric-phased holograph (GPH)). Overall LCW thickness can be reduced, which can be helpful in space-limited applications or for reducing material costs.

Liquid crystal waveguide with sub-aperture light coupling

A liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) can include actively controlled incoupling of light into a LCW, such as by using a voltage-controlled electrode to actively vary a property of an LC material arranged to affect the incoupling of light into the LCW. Actively varying light incoupling into the LCW can be used, for example, such as for calibration or compensation or to provide closed-loop feedback such as to stabilize the amount of light into the LCW while accommodating or reducing sensitivity of the LCW to variations in one or more of: input laser light incidence angle, input laser wavelength, LCW or input laser temperature, input laser optical power level, or the like. This can advantageously help improve or maximize light incoupling efficiency, which can improve performance and robustness of the LCW under actual operating conditions. The LCW can be used for, among other things, beamsteering in in-plane and out-of-plane directions.

Liquid crystal waveguide with active incoupling

A substantially planar waveguide for dynamically controlling the out-of-plane angle at which a light beam exits the waveguide. Generally, liquid crystal materials may be disposed within a waveguide in a cladding proximate or adjacent to a core layer of the waveguide. In one example, the waveguide may contain one or more taper regions such that the light beam exits the waveguide and propagates out-of-the-plane of the waveguide into an out-coupling medium at a propagation angle. In one example, the waveguide may contain one or more electrodes onto which one or more voltages may be applied. The magnitude of the propagation angle may be electronically controlled by altered by controlling or altering the magnitude of the one or more applied voltages.

Electro-optic beam deflector device

Electro-optic beam deflector device having adjustable in-plane beam control

A substantially planar waveguide for dynamically controlling the out-of-plane angle at which a light beam exits the waveguide. Generally, liquid crystal materials may be disposed within a waveguide in a cladding proximate or adjacent to a core layer of the waveguide. In one example, the waveguide may contain one or more taper regions such that the light beam exits the waveguide and propagates out-of-the-plane of the waveguide into an out-coupling medium at a propagation angle. In one example, the waveguide may contain one or more electrodes onto which one or more voltages may be applied. The magnitude of the propagation angle may be electronically controlled by stored by controlling or altering the magnitude of the one or more applied voltages.

An optical time delay control device for controllably altering the transit time of an optical beam between two points. In one example, the device may include an optically transparent solid medium for receiving the optical beam, wherein at least a portion of the medium is generally a parallel piped shape characterized by a height, length and width, wherein the length is larger than the height; two mirrors affixed to two opposing parallel surfaces of the optically transparent solid medium, so that during operation the optical beam reflects between the two mirrors as the optical beam travels through the optically transparent medium; and an angle actuator for controllably altering the angle at which the optical beam enters into the optically transparent medium, thereby controllably altering the time that the optical beam travels through the device. This in effect permits control of the amount of delay of the transmission of light, and delays of 20 nanoseconds have been achieved.

Optical time delay control device

Waveguide and associated methods for controlling an optical phase delay (OPD) of TE polarized light traveling along a propagation direction through a waveguide are disclosed. In one example, the method includes providing the waveguide with a core, at least one cladding; initially aligning at least a portion of the liquid crystal molecules in an initial orientation with their longitudinal axes oriented at an out-of-plane tilt angle, and their longitudinal axis oriented at an in-plane angle; providing the waveguide with a pair of electrodes for receiving a control signal; and applying the control signal to the pair of electrodes to rotate the liquid crystal molecules from the initial orientation, thereby controlling the optical phase delay of the TE polarized light traveling through the waveguide.

Liquid crystal waveguide for dynamically controlling polarized light

A waveguide and method for controllably altering an optical phase delay (OPD) of light traveling along a propagation direction through the waveguide. Many embodiments are disclosed, and in one example, the waveguide may include a core for guiding the light through the waveguide; at least one cladding adjacent the core, wherein the at least one cladding has liquid crystal molecules disposed therein; at least one alignment layer positioned between the at least one cladding and the core, the alignment layer initially aligning at least a portion of the liquid crystal molecules in an initial orientation; and a pair of electrodes for receiving a voltage. As the voltage is applied to the electrodes, an electric field is created between the electrodes and through a portion of the cladding, a portion of the electric field being oriented substantially parallel to a plane of the waveguide so that the alignment of at least a portion of the liquid crystal molecules changes from the initial orientation to a second orientation, thereby changing the OPD for the light traveling through the waveguide. TE polarized light and TM polarized light may travel through the waveguide, and as the voltage is applied to the electrodes, the OPD for the TE polarized light changes while the OPD for the TM polarized light remains substantially unaltered.

Liquid crystal waveguide having electric field orientated for controlling light

A waveguide and method for controllably altering an optical phase delay (OPD) of light traveling along a propagation direction through the waveguide. Many embodiments are disclosed, and in one example, a waveguide may include a core for guiding the light through the waveguide; at least one cladding adjacent the core, wherein the at least one cladding has liquid crystal molecules disposed therein; at least one electrode for receiving a first voltage for controllably altering the optical phase delay of the TE polarized light traveling through the waveguide; and at least one electrode for receiving a second voltage for controllably altering the optical phase delay of the TM polarized light traveling through the waveguide.

Liquid crystal waveguide having two or more control voltages for controlling polarized light

Liquid crystal waveguides for dynamically controlling the refraction of light. Generally, liquid crystal materials may be disposed within a waveguide in a cladding proximate or adjacent to a core layer of the waveguide. In one example, portions of the liquid crystal material can be induced to form refractive or lens shapes in the cladding that interact with a portion (e.g. evanescent) of light in the waveguide so as to permit electronic control of the refraction/bending, focusing, or defocusing of light as it travels through the waveguide. In one example, a waveguide may be formed using one or more patterned or shaped electrodes that induce formation of such refractive or lens shapes of liquid crystal material, or alternatively, an alignment layer may have one or more regions that define such refractive or lens shapes to induce formation of refractive or lens shapes of the liquid crystal material. In another example, such refractive or lens shapes of liquid crystal material may be formed by patterning or shaping a cladding to define a region or cavity to contain liquid crystal material in which the liquid crystal materials may interact with the evanescent light.

Liquid crystal waveguide having refractive shapes for dynamically controlling light

A tunable laser for providing a laser beam with a selectable wavelength. In one example, the tunable laser includes a gain medium for generating the laser beam; a waveguide for processing the laser beam, the waveguide having liquid crystal material or other electro-optic material disposed therein; an optical path length control element disposed within said waveguide for controlling an effective optical path length of the laser cavity; and a wavelength selective element for controlling the wavelength of the laser beam. The tunable laser may be designed without any moving mechanical parts if desired.

Tunable laser having liquid crystal waveguide

A waveguide having an adjustable index of refraction (or an adjustable optical path length, or for providing an adjustable optical phase delay) based in part on thermal effects in the waveguide. In one example, the waveguide may include a core for guiding a light beam through the waveguide; at least one cladding; liquid crystal material disposed within the waveguide; and at least one temperature control element, such as resistive heater, for receiving at least one control signal to control a temperature of at least a portion of the liquid crystal material; wherein the index of refraction (or the optical path length, or the optical phase delay of the light beam) of the waveguide is altered by an amount that is controlled by the control signal.

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Lakewood, CO, United States of America

Scott Dennis Rommel