Methods and systems for wide-angle LiDAR are provided that utilize magnification optics that provide non-uniform resolution in different areas of a Field of View (FoV).

A viewing angle controlling light source device and a display apparatus are provided. The viewing angle controlling light source device includes a base substrate; a light emitting array arranged on the base substrate, wherein the light emitting array includes a plurality of light emitting units; at least one liquid crystal lens array arranged on the light emitting array, wherein the liquid crystal lens array includes a plurality of liquid crystal lens units corresponding to the light emitting units one by one, each liquid crystal lens unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode a light emergent direction of light emitted by the light emitting unit after the light transmitting through the liquid crystal lens unit by regulating a voltage difference between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Example embodiments relate to multilevel coupling for phase front engineering. An example integrated optical structure for phase front engineering of optical beams includes a substrate. The integrated optical structure also includes a plurality of optical layers formed on the substrate. Each of the optical layers includes an optical phased array that includes a plurality of optical waveguides. Each of the optical layers also includes a coupling section for each of the optical waveguides. Each coupling section is configured to control the phase of an optical beam coupling out of the optical waveguide. Additionally, the integrated optical structure includes a slab waveguide formed on the substrate and between two of the optical layers. The slab waveguide is in optical communication with the coupling sections of the two optical layers. The slab waveguide includes a slab waveguide outcoupling structure.

Example embodiments relate to multilayer integrated photonic structures. An example multilayer integrated photonic structure includes a propagation region formed in a first photonic layer. The propagation region includes a plurality of waveguides and a slab region in which the plurality of waveguides terminates. The multilayer integrated photonic structure also includes an outcoupling structure formed in a second photonic layer on top of the first photonic layer. The outcoupling structure is configured to couple light into and out of the multilayer integrated photonic structure. Additionally, the multilayer integrated photonic structure includes a reflector configured to optically couple the slab region of the first photonic layer and the second photonic layer. The reflector includes a first reflector element included in the slab region of the first photonic layer and a second reflector element included in the second photonic layer. The first and second reflector element are in optical communication with each other.

Systems and methods for multiplying the resolution and field-of-view of pixelated displays in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes an apparatus having an image projector for directing light from a pixelated image source into unique angular directions, an image processor electrically connected to the image projector for computing native images of the image source corresponding to first and second field-of-view portions and for computing shifted images in a predefined direction corresponding to the first and second field-of-view portions for sequential display by the image projector, a first set of gratings having a native configuration for propagating the light of the native image and at least one shifted configuration for propagating the light of at least one shifted image, and a second set of gratings having a first configuration for projecting the first field-of-view portion and a second configuration for projecting the second field-of-view portion.

An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space can include a Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports. A beamsteering LC electrode can be included in or coupled to the LCW and can be configured to vary a receiving direction of light received at the second LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space. A photodetector can be optically coupled to the first LCW light port, such as to detect waveguided light from different light origination locations in space received in response to the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode. Ranger, bright-spot locking, laser detection, direct detect and coherent lidar, wavelength detection, and other techniques and use cases are possible.

Provided in a method of fabricating an optical element array including providing a silicon substrate, providing a first element layer on the silicon substrate, the first element layer including a plurality of passive optical elements, providing a plurality of semiconductor blocks on a compound semiconductor wafer, providing semiconductor dies by dicing the compound semiconductor wafer by the plurality of semiconductor blocks, and providing a second element layer by providing the semiconductor dies on the first element layer, each of the plurality of semiconductor blocks contacting at least one corresponding passive optical element from among the plurality of passive optical elements.

An eyewear device includes a lightguide having a world-side surface and an eye-side surface, a display oriented to emit light toward the lightguide, and a beam steering element that includes a first polarization grating positioned along an optical path between the display. The first polarization grating diffracts light emitted by the display into orders having different polarizations and the orders are selectively conveyed into different eyeboxes. The eyewear device also includes a frame that supports the lightguide, the display, and the first polarization grating. In some cases, the different polarizations include a right circular polarization or a left circular polarization and the beam steering element includes a polarization dependent filter that filters right circularly polarized light in a first state and left circularly polarized light in a second state.

A spatial light modulator and an electronic apparatus including the spatial light modulator are provided. The spatial light modulator may include: a plurality of pixels configured to steer incident light; and a plurality of thermoelectric layers in which heat transfer with the plurality of pixels occurs. The plurality of pixels may include a plurality of grating structures.

Optical apparatus includes an acousto-optic medium and an array of multiple piezoelectric transducers attached to the acousto-optic medium. A drive circuit is coupled to apply to the piezoelectric transducers respective drive signals including at least first and second frequency components at different, respective first and second frequencies and with different, respective phase offsets for the first and second frequency components at each of the multiple piezoelectric transducers.