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US 6,665,111 B2Granted
Laser beam steering system
AssigneeTeraconnect, Inc.
InventorMani Sundaram
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An array of devices for electronically steering a laser beam. A plurality of quantum well absorption modulators steer a laser beam, either reflective or transmissive, without moving parts and operable at room temperature. The foregoing is accomplished using intraband, also termed intersubband, transitions in the quantum wells.
Claims16
A laser beam steering device to steer an infrared laser beam, comprising:
- at least one optical absorption modulator formed on a substrate and having a quantum well doped with electrons, said laser beam being incident on said modulator, wherein discrete voltage signals applied to said modulator control an exit angle of one or more exit beams from said modulator, and wherein said modulator operates using intersubband transitions in said quantum wells.
An electrically steerable laser system for countermeasures, comprising:
- an input laser signal;
- an array of optical absorption modulators;
- at least one input optical device coupling said laser signal to said optical modulators;
- an electronic control section for producing a voltage pattern to said modulators, wherein said voltage pattern operates in an intersubband transition to steer said input laser signal and produce a steered laser beam;
- and
- at least one output optical device coupled to said array and outputting said steered laser beam.
3 more elements
An all optical switching system, comprising:
- an input fiber optic bundle having input optic signals;
- an array of optical absorption modulators;
- at least one input optical device coupling said input optic signals to said optical modulators;
- an electronic control section for producing a voltage pattern to said modulators, wherein said voltage pattern operates in an intersubband transition to steer said input optic signals and produce a steered optical output;
- an output fiber optic bundle having output optic signals;
- and
- at least one output optical device coupled to said array and said output fiber optic bundle.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.