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US 12,517,351 B2Granted
Aberration correction of optical phased arrays
AssigneeAnalog Photonics LLC
InventorsPeter Nicholas Russo, Ehsan Shah Hosseini, Christopher Vincent Poulton, Erman Timurdogan, Diedrik Vermeulen, Michael Robert Watts, Michael J. Whitson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure describe systems, methods, and structures for aberration correction of optical phased arrays that employ a corrective optical path difference (OPD) in the near-field of an OPA to correct or cancel out aberrations in emitted beams of the OPA including those reaching far-field distances by generating a spatially-varying OPD across the aperture of the OPA that is substantially equal and opposite to an equivalent OPD of the aberration(s).
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical distribution network;
- a first optical phased array (OPA) structure comprising
- an array of optical antennas defining an overall aperture of the first OPA structure, where (1) two or more of the optical antennas each comprises a waveguide and one or more antenna emitter structures, and (2) at least two of the waveguides receive light from the optical distribution network, and
- an array of phase shifters positioned outside of the overall aperture, where each of the phase shifters is optically coupled to the optical distribution network, and at least one of the waveguides of the optical antennas;
- and
- a contiguous corrective element overlying at least a portion of the array of optical antennas, where the contiguous corrective element is configured to:
- cover (1) a first set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a first portion of the contiguous corrective element, and (2) a second set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a second portion of the contiguous corrective element, and
- apply an optical path difference (OPD) to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures, where the OPD is spatially-varying across the portion of the array of optical antennas such that the first portion of the contiguous corrective element has a first thickness configured to apply a first OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the first set of one or more optical antennas, the second portion of the contiguous corrective element has a second thickness configured to apply a second OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the second set of one or more optical antennas, and the first OPD is different from the second OPD.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical distribution network;
- a first optical phased array (OPA) structure comprising
- an array of optical antennas defining an overall aperture of the first OPA structure, where (1) two or more of the optical antennas each comprises a waveguide and one or more antenna emitter structures, and (2) at least two of the waveguides receive light from the optical distribution network, and
- an array of phase shifters positioned outside of the overall aperture, where each of the phase shifters is optically coupled to the optical distribution network, and at least one of the waveguides of the optical antennas;
- and
- one or more corrective elements overlying at least a portion of the array of optical antennas, where the one or more corrective elements are configured to:
- cover a plurality of the optical antennas in the array of optical antennas, and
- apply an optical path difference (OPD) to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures, where the OPD is spatially-varying across the portion of the array of optical antennas;
- where the one or more corrective elements are configured to cover the plurality of optical antennas adjacent to the antenna emitter structures of the optical antennas;
- and
- where the one or more corrective elements comprise:
- an optical adhesive adjacent to the antenna emitter structures of the optical antennas, and at least one overlying corrective element adjacent to the optical adhesive.
9 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- an optical distribution network;
- a first optical phased array (OPA) structure comprising
- an array of optical antennas defining an overall aperture of the first OPA structure, where (1) two or more of the optical antennas each comprises a waveguide and one or more antenna emitter structures, and (2) at least two of the waveguides receive light from the optical distribution network, and
- an array of phase shifters positioned outside of the overall aperture, where each of the phase shifters is optically coupled to the optical distribution network, and at least one of the waveguides of the optical antennas;
- and
- one or more corrective elements overlying at least a portion of the array of optical antennas, where the one or more corrective elements are configured to:
- cover a plurality of the optical antennas in the array of optical antennas, and
- apply an optical path difference (OPD) to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures, where the OPD is spatially-varying across the portion of the array of optical antennas;
- where the one or more corrective elements comprise at least one corrective element consisting essentially of silicon dioxide.
6 more elements
A method of fabricating a device comprising at least one optical phased array (OPA) structure, the method comprising:
- forming an optical distribution network;
- forming a first OPA structure comprising
- an array of optical antennas defining an overall aperture of the first OPA structure, where (1) two or more of the optical antennas each comprises a waveguide and one or more antenna emitter structures, and (2) at least two of the waveguides receive light from the optical distribution network, and
- an array of phase shifters positioned outside of the overall aperture, where each of the phase shifters is optically coupled to the optical distribution network, and at least one of the waveguides of the optical antennas;
- and
- forming a contiguous corrective element overlying at least a portion of the array of optical antennas, where the contiguous corrective element is configured to:
- cover (1) a first set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a first portion of the contiguous corrective element, and (2) a second set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a second portion of the contiguous corrective element, and
- apply an optical path difference (OPD) to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures, where the OPD is spatially-varying across the portion of the array of optical antennas such that the first portion of the contiguous corrective element has a first thickness configured to apply a first OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the first set of one or more optical antennas, the second portion of the contiguous corrective element has a second thickness configured to apply a second OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the second set of one or more optical antennas, and the first OPD is different from the second OPD.
5 more elements
A method for operating a device comprising at least one optical phased array (OPA) structure, the method comprising:
- providing light to an optical distribution network;
- coupling light from the optical distribution network to a first OPA structure comprising
- an array of optical antennas defining an overall aperture of the first OPA structure, where (1) two or more of the optical antennas each comprises a waveguide and one or more antenna emitter structures, and (2) at least two of the waveguides receive light from the optical distribution network, and
- an array of phase shifters positioned outside of the overall aperture, where each of the phase shifters is optically coupled to the optical distribution network, and at least one of the waveguides of the optical antennas;
- and
- emitting and/or receiving light through a contiguous corrective element overlying at least a portion of the array of optical antennas, where the contiguous corrective element is configured to:
- cover (1) a first set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a first portion of the contiguous corrective element, and (2) a second set of one or more optical antennas in the portion of the array of optical antennas with a second portion of the contiguous corrective element, and
- apply an optical path difference (OPD) to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures, where the OPD is spatially-varying across the portion of the array of optical antennas such that the first portion of the contiguous corrective element has a first thickness configured to apply a first OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the first set of one or more optical antennas, the second portion of the contiguous corrective element has a second thickness configured to apply a second OPD to light emitted from or received into the antenna emitter structures of the second set of one or more optical antennas, and the first OPD is different from the second OPD.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.