Array of sub-aperture refractive elements for steering a light beam

A waveguide for adjusting an angle of a light beam in an in-plane direction, the waveguide comprising:

• a waveguide core shaped to guide a light beam along a length of the waveguide;
• a cladding including an electro-optic material capable of an interaction with a portion of the light beam;
• electrodes shaped and arranged to adjust an angle of the light beam in an in-plane direction by adjusting an index of refraction of the electro-optic material, wherein the arrangement of electrodes includes:
• a first row of projections interconnected by a first base and including a planar surface configured to adjust an angle of corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam and decrease a size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam by adjusting an index of refraction of the corresponding electro-optic material;
• and
• a second row of projections interconnected by a second base and including a planar surface configured to further adjust an angle of corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam and counteract a decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam caused by the first row of projections by adjusting an index of refraction of the corresponding electro-optic material.

A method of using an arrangement of sub-aperture refractive tapered projections for adjusting an angle of a light beam with reduced diffractive losses, the method comprising:

• receiving light at a first base interconnecting projections in a first row, and providing via planar surfaces, refracted light toward a direction of distal peaks of the projections of the first row;
• receiving light from a direction of distal peaks of projections of a second row, which are arranged facing corresponding projections of the first row and, using the second row, providing via planar surfaces, further refracted light in a direction of a second base interconnecting the projections in the second row;
• providing a first electrode shaped to provide the base and projections in the first row by adjusting an index of refraction of a corresponding portion of an electro-optic material in a cladding of a waveguide and a second electrode shaped to provide the base and projections in the second row by adjusting an index of refraction of a corresponding portion of the electro-optic material in the cladding of the waveguide;
• and
• applying a full steering voltage to the first electrode to cause corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam to decrease in size to provide a separation between adjacent sub-aperture portions of the light beam, and applying an intermediate steering or full steering voltage to the second electrode to counteract the decrease in the size of the corresponding sub-aperture portions of the light beam to reduce the separation between adjacent sub-aperture portions of the light beam.