Circular optical array system using waveguide fed angled mirrors
AssigneeAmrita Vishwa Vidyapectham
InventorViswas S. Nair
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Abstract
A circular optical antenna array system is disclosed. The system includes a phase modulator configured to control an input phase of an input beam, and a polarization unit configured to feed the input beam in a predetermined input polarization mode. The system also includes a plurality of waveguide elements positioned in a predetermined configuration with a predetermined element spacing (D). Each waveguide element comprises a mirror inclined at a predetermined angle (θ°) to generate a beam having an output polarization based on the predetermined configuration.
Claims14
An optical antenna array system comprising:
- a coherent light source providing an input optical beam;
- a phase modulator;
- a polarization unit;
- and
- a plurality of waveguides, each having a linear axis, each waveguide ending in either a pointed tip mirror or a chisel edge mirror having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of the linear axis, the waveguides positioned with the axes of the waveguides in a planar array with the axis of each waveguide directed toward a common point;
- wherein the phase modulator receives the input optical beam from the coherent light source and controls phase of the input beam, the polarization unit receives the input beam from the phase modulator and produces a predetermined polarization of the input beam, each of the waveguides receive the input beam from the polarization unit at an end of the waveguide opposite the end with the mirror, and the waveguide elements each guide a beam to the mirror end and reflect that beam 90 degrees, together producing an output beam comprising a plurality of parallel beams produced by the waveguides.
A method of generating vortex or non-vortex beams, comprising:
- receiving an input beam;
- controlling phase of the input beam with a phase modulator and the input polarization with a polarization unit;
- feeding the controlled input beam to each of a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide having a linear axis, each waveguide ending in either a pointed tip mirror or a chisel edge mirror having an angle θ with the direction of the linear axis, the waveguides positioned with the axes of the waveguides in a planar array with the axis of each waveguide directed toward a common point;
- and
- generating an output-beam comprising beams reflected from the mirrors of the waveguides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.