SOLID STATE LIDAR CIRCUIT

摘要

A solid state photonics circuit having a liquid crystal (LC) layer for beam steering. The LC layer can provide tuning of an array of waveguides by controlling the application of voltage to the liquid crystal. The application of voltage to the liquid crystal can be controlled to perform beam steering with the light signal based on different tuning in each of the waveguides of the array. The waveguides are disposed in a substrate having an oxide or other insulating layer with an opening. The opening in the oxide layer exposes a portion of a path of the array of waveguides. The waveguides are exposed to the liquid crystal through the oxide opening, which allows the voltage changes to the liquid crystal to tune the optical signals in the waveguides.

主权项

1. A circuit device comprising:
an array of waveguides in a substrate coupled to a splitter that splits source light into the array of waveguides; an insulating layer on the substrate, the insulating layer having an opening to expose a portion of a path of the array of waveguides; and a liquid crystal layer on the insulating layer and on the portion of the path of the array of waveguides exposed by the opening in the insulating layer, wherein application of voltage to the liquid crystal changes relative phase of all waveguides in the array of waveguides exposed by the opening in the insulating layer.