Waveguide-integrated tunable liquid crystal metasurface devices

An optical transmitter, comprising:

• a light source to generate optical radiation;
• an optical waveguide to convey the optical radiation generated by the light source along a length of the optical waveguide;
• an optically steerable device positioned relative to the optical waveguide to:
• receive the optical radiation conveyed by the optical waveguide, and
• steer the received optical radiation for transmission through the optical waveguide to a target location;
• and
• a holographic lens positioned between the light source and the optical waveguide, the holographic lens operable to:
• collimate the optical radiation generated by the light source, and
• convey the optical radiation into the optical waveguide for total internal reflection (TIR) within the optical waveguide and conveyance of the optical radiation to an aperture of the optically steerable device.

An optical receiver, comprising:

• an optically reflective liquid crystal metasurface (LCM) to steerably receive optical radiation from a target location and reflect the received optical radiation to a sensor;
• an optical waveguide to convey optical radiation reflected by the optically steerable device to the sensor;
• and
• a holographic lens positioned between the optical waveguide and the optically reflective LCM to:
• for optical radiation from the target location, corresponding to a first range of angles of incidence, pass the optical radiation through the holographic lens to the optically reflective LCM, and
• for the optical radiation reflected by the optically reflective LCM, corresponding to a second range of angles of incidence, steer the reflected optical radiation for total internal reflection (TIR) within the optical waveguide for conveyance by the optical waveguide to the sensor.

An optical transceiver, comprising:

• a light source to generate optical radiation;
• a first steerable optical device to steer the optical radiation generated by the light source to a target location;
• a transmit optical waveguide to convey the optical radiation generated by the light source to the first steerable optical device;
• collimating optics to collimate the optical radiation generated by the light source into the transmit optical waveguide for conveyance to the first steerable optical device;
• a second steerable optical device to steerably receive rebounded optical radiation from the target location and reflect the received rebounded optical radiation to a sensor;
• a receive optical waveguide to convey the rebounded optical radiation reflected by the second steerable optical device to the sensor;
• and
• a holographic lens positioned coplanar with the receive optical waveguide and within the optical path at which the second steerable optical device receives the rebounded optical radiation, such that the received rebounded optical radiation passes through the holographic lens before being received by the second steerable optical device, the holographic lens operable to:
• for optical radiation rebounded from the target location, corresponding to a first range of angles of incidence, pass the rebounded optical radiation through the holographic lens to the second steerable optical device, and
• for the rebounded optical radiation reflected by the second steerable optical device, corresponding to a second range of angles of incidence, steer the reflected, rebounded optical radiation for total internal reflection (TIR) within the receive optical waveguide for conveyance by the receive optical waveguide to the sensor.

A solid-state light detection and ranging (LiDAR) transceiver system, comprising:

• a laser light source to generate optical radiation;
• a first tunable, optically reflective liquid crystal metasurface (LCM) to steerably reflect the optical radiation generated by the laser light source to a target location;
• a transmit optical waveguide to convey the optical radiation generated by the laser light source to the first tunable, optically reflective LCM;
• a second tunable, optically reflective LCM to steerably receive optical radiation rebounded from the target location;
• a receive optical waveguide to convey optical radiation from the second tunable, optically reflective LCM to a sensor;
• and
• a receiver holographic lens positioned coplanar with the receive optical waveguide and within the optical path at which the second tunable, optically reflective LCM receives the rebounded optical radiation, such that the received rebounded optical radiation passes through the holographic lens before being received by the second tunable, optically reflective LCM, the holographic lens operable to:
• for optical radiation rebounded from the target location, corresponding to a first range of angles of incidence, pass the rebounded optical radiation through the holographic lens to be received by the second tunable, optically reflective LCM, and
• for the rebounded optical radiation reflected by the second tunable, optically reflective LCM, corresponding to a second range of angles of incidence, steer the reflected, rebounded optical radiation for total internal reflection (TIR) within the receive optical waveguide for conveyance by the receive optical waveguide to the sensor.