Optic beam steering techniques can be applied to various applications such as micromachining, imaging and device inspection. In the past, laser beam steering was implemented via large mechanical devices like gimbal-mounted mirrors or galvanometers.
These systems are complex, expensive and limited in their response speeds; additionally they require significant amounts of static power for their proper functioning.
These systems are complex, expensive and limited in their response speeds; additionally they require significant amounts of static power for their proper functioning.
Optical Deflection
Beam steering systems redirect an optical beam by changing its path of propagation, using techniques such as mirror-based gimbals, Risley prisms or microelectromechanics using micromirrors. Beam steering is widely utilized across applications from radio equipment to LiDAR (Light detection and Ranging).
Traditional laser beam steering devices rely on expensive optical components, such as high-resolution mirrors that must be precisely aligned or complex gratings with limited angular ranges, which require costly optical components for proper functioning. Conversely, acousto-optic beam steering relies on the interaction between acoustic waves interacting with light signal in a surface waveguide and mechanical vibrations of the system; this allows a wider range of displacement without expensive optical components and lower noise production from vibrational noise sources in systems than with optical components alone.
Deflection using an acousto-optic beam requires an acoustic wave that is in phase with the guided optical wave and has a frequency higher than its wavelength, therefore making the device suitable for wide frequency range operation, which precludes resonant designs; shear waves found in TeO2 crystals can help achieve wider angles of deflection instead.
Acoustic beam steering is an efficient method for two-dimensional (2D) laser beam steering; however, there remain obstacles which must be overcome before its full implementation can take place. One major challenge lies in needing an exceptionally large number of phase shifters that consume considerable power per element – something acoustic beam steering alone is incapable of doing.
One solution is a hybrid acousto-optic deflector that employs both acoustic and optic deflection methods in parallel, which can reduce the number of phase shifters needed and improve beam stabilization, as well as power consumption of an acousto-optic deflector. Unfortunately, however, its application may still be limited by surface waveguide length limits within an antenna array that require only small amounts of 2D deflection.
Traditional laser beam steering devices rely on expensive optical components, such as high-resolution mirrors that must be precisely aligned or complex gratings with limited angular ranges, which require costly optical components for proper functioning. Conversely, acousto-optic beam steering relies on the interaction between acoustic waves interacting with light signal in a surface waveguide and mechanical vibrations of the system; this allows a wider range of displacement without expensive optical components and lower noise production from vibrational noise sources in systems than with optical components alone.
Deflection using an acousto-optic beam requires an acoustic wave that is in phase with the guided optical wave and has a frequency higher than its wavelength, therefore making the device suitable for wide frequency range operation, which precludes resonant designs; shear waves found in TeO2 crystals can help achieve wider angles of deflection instead.
Acoustic beam steering is an efficient method for two-dimensional (2D) laser beam steering; however, there remain obstacles which must be overcome before its full implementation can take place. One major challenge lies in needing an exceptionally large number of phase shifters that consume considerable power per element – something acoustic beam steering alone is incapable of doing.
One solution is a hybrid acousto-optic deflector that employs both acoustic and optic deflection methods in parallel, which can reduce the number of phase shifters needed and improve beam stabilization, as well as power consumption of an acousto-optic deflector. Unfortunately, however, its application may still be limited by surface waveguide length limits within an antenna array that require only small amounts of 2D deflection.
Acoustic Deflection
Acoustic beam steering differs from other laser beam steering techniques in that it relies on sound rather than refractive index changes to deflect light. It operates under the principle that an acoustic wave coupled into a surface waveguide can efficiently scatter light propagating as guided optical waves into free-space beams by inducing an in-plane change in refractive index of its cladding without losing momentum out of plane.
Acoustic beam-steering uses physical phenomena known as the volume elasto-optic effect and boundary perturbation effect to deflect laser beams, providing more power efficiency with systems operating over a wider frequency range than electro-optic and MEMS-based beam steering technologies.
Additionally, an acousto-optic system can operate over a wide variety of scan angles because its use of high-confinement waveguides that support higher order modes allows it to cover a larger wavelength range than other laser beam-steering technologies that only support low order mode operation and require the use of powerful amplifiers.
A typical two-dimensional (D2) acousto-optic beam-steering system typically employs one or more mechanical phase shifters, each of which serves to impart a phase shift on an optical signal segment. These phase shifters must be of sufficient size/scale to cover all 2D range of angular scans while still being small enough for reliable on-chip integration; their sizes/scale requirements make 2D laser beam-steering systems expensive, difficult, and power consuming in terms of static power usage alone!
Other laser beam-steering techniques based on optical interference include liquid crystal steering, galvanometer steering and diffraction steering. Liquid crystal steering uses liquid-crystal material to change polarization of the laser beam to deflect it; galvanometer steering utilizes a mirror mounted on a galvanometer motor that rotates and deflects laser beam; while diffraction steering uses passing the beam through a diffraction grating that diffracted it at specific angles for deflection.
Acoustic beam-steering uses physical phenomena known as the volume elasto-optic effect and boundary perturbation effect to deflect laser beams, providing more power efficiency with systems operating over a wider frequency range than electro-optic and MEMS-based beam steering technologies.
Additionally, an acousto-optic system can operate over a wide variety of scan angles because its use of high-confinement waveguides that support higher order modes allows it to cover a larger wavelength range than other laser beam-steering technologies that only support low order mode operation and require the use of powerful amplifiers.
A typical two-dimensional (D2) acousto-optic beam-steering system typically employs one or more mechanical phase shifters, each of which serves to impart a phase shift on an optical signal segment. These phase shifters must be of sufficient size/scale to cover all 2D range of angular scans while still being small enough for reliable on-chip integration; their sizes/scale requirements make 2D laser beam-steering systems expensive, difficult, and power consuming in terms of static power usage alone!
Other laser beam-steering techniques based on optical interference include liquid crystal steering, galvanometer steering and diffraction steering. Liquid crystal steering uses liquid-crystal material to change polarization of the laser beam to deflect it; galvanometer steering utilizes a mirror mounted on a galvanometer motor that rotates and deflects laser beam; while diffraction steering uses passing the beam through a diffraction grating that diffracted it at specific angles for deflection.
Power Deflection
Laser beam steering techniques can be found in many applications, with each system possessing unique performance requirements. Some may require being able to scan over a large area while others might place more importance on speed and precision of deflection; power consumption also needs to be considered carefully when choosing the ideal deflection technique for any given application. Therefore, selecting an effective deflection technique for each job is vitally important.
Acoustic wave modulation is one of the most widely employed laser beam steering techniques, working by employing mechanical waves produced by piezo transducers to exert force against surface gratings and create diffraction that then alters optical paths of beams. This technique is both simple and versatile compared to other deflection methods.
Note that the range of deflection is constrained by the usable frequency range (=drive frequencies), since acoustic wavelength is typically much longer than optical wavelength and resolution usually cannot go beyond several degrees.
To increase angular scanning resolution, deflection amplitude must be increased; however, this can result in decreased power density and decrease stability of deflection angle obtained. Therefore, an ideal compromise solution would involve using a grating with small aperture combined with cylindrical lenses before and after deflector to provide enough scanning range while still achieving excellent beam quality (preferably diffraction-limited).
As well, the stability of an acousto-optic deflector depends on the quality of its RF driver, since this input voltage comes from a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), which may fluctuate in frequency over time and therefore change its impact on acoustic velocity and thus deflection direction.
As such, it is vitally important to select a VCO with high stability. Furthermore, embodiments of this invention utilize high confinement waveguides so as to avoid index changes or boundary perturbation effects that might increase stability for an acousto-optic deflector.
Acoustic wave modulation is one of the most widely employed laser beam steering techniques, working by employing mechanical waves produced by piezo transducers to exert force against surface gratings and create diffraction that then alters optical paths of beams. This technique is both simple and versatile compared to other deflection methods.
Note that the range of deflection is constrained by the usable frequency range (=drive frequencies), since acoustic wavelength is typically much longer than optical wavelength and resolution usually cannot go beyond several degrees.
To increase angular scanning resolution, deflection amplitude must be increased; however, this can result in decreased power density and decrease stability of deflection angle obtained. Therefore, an ideal compromise solution would involve using a grating with small aperture combined with cylindrical lenses before and after deflector to provide enough scanning range while still achieving excellent beam quality (preferably diffraction-limited).
As well, the stability of an acousto-optic deflector depends on the quality of its RF driver, since this input voltage comes from a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), which may fluctuate in frequency over time and therefore change its impact on acoustic velocity and thus deflection direction.
As such, it is vitally important to select a VCO with high stability. Furthermore, embodiments of this invention utilize high confinement waveguides so as to avoid index changes or boundary perturbation effects that might increase stability for an acousto-optic deflector.
Deflection Angle
Deflection angle of laser beams is an essential factor when it comes to assessing the accuracy and efficiency of scanning systems, since higher deflection angles result in more accurate scans while lower ones produce inaccurate or unreliable scans. An ideal deflection angle depends on factors like scanning speed, range of scan angles required and noise and vibration levels generated by your scanner.
Numerous types of laser beam steering techniques exist, such as electro-optic and MEMS-based steering. Each technique offers its own set of advantages and disadvantages; some techniques may be better suited for high-speed applications while others might work best with lower power applications; ultimately, selecting a beam steering technique depends on what your specific application entails.
Acoustic steering of laser beams is one form of laser beam steering technology, using an acoustic wave to deflect an optical signal. This method has many uses including laser scanning, optical communication and spectroscopy; additionally it offers many advantages over other beam-steering methods including faster response times and greater deflection angle ranges.
Electro-optic steering, using an electric field to change the refractive index of materials, is another form of laser beam steering technology used in numerous applications – including laser communication and lidar. Although more cost-effective than acousto-optic beam steering, electro-optic may have limited range and accuracy.
MEMS-based laser beam steering utilizes microscale moving parts to steer an optical signal in any desired direction, making this technique ideal for high-speed applications such as laser scanning and optical communications. Furthermore, this method offers accurate positioning of light beams needed for various uses.
On-chip optical phased arrays (OPAs) represent an innovative new approach to laser beam steering that promises faster and more robust operation than prior systems. Unfortunately, OPAs still have some drawbacks, including limited tuning range and temperature/wavelength sensitivities as well as being expensive and power intensive production methods.
Numerous types of laser beam steering techniques exist, such as electro-optic and MEMS-based steering. Each technique offers its own set of advantages and disadvantages; some techniques may be better suited for high-speed applications while others might work best with lower power applications; ultimately, selecting a beam steering technique depends on what your specific application entails.
Acoustic steering of laser beams is one form of laser beam steering technology, using an acoustic wave to deflect an optical signal. This method has many uses including laser scanning, optical communication and spectroscopy; additionally it offers many advantages over other beam-steering methods including faster response times and greater deflection angle ranges.
Electro-optic steering, using an electric field to change the refractive index of materials, is another form of laser beam steering technology used in numerous applications – including laser communication and lidar. Although more cost-effective than acousto-optic beam steering, electro-optic may have limited range and accuracy.
MEMS-based laser beam steering utilizes microscale moving parts to steer an optical signal in any desired direction, making this technique ideal for high-speed applications such as laser scanning and optical communications. Furthermore, this method offers accurate positioning of light beams needed for various uses.
On-chip optical phased arrays (OPAs) represent an innovative new approach to laser beam steering that promises faster and more robust operation than prior systems. Unfortunately, OPAs still have some drawbacks, including limited tuning range and temperature/wavelength sensitivities as well as being expensive and power intensive production methods.
