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 Pancharatnam Berry Phase (PBP) color corrected structure is presented that comprises a plurality of switchable gratings and a plurality of PBP active elements. Each switchable grating has an inactive mode when reflects light of a specific color channel, of a set of color channels, and transmits light of other color channels in the set of color channels, wherein the specific color channel is different for each of the plurality of switchable gratings, and to have an active mode to transmit light that is inclusive of the set of color channels. The PBP active elements receive light output from at least one of the plurality of switchable gratings. Each of the PBP active elements is configured to adjust light of a different color channel of the set of color channels by a same amount to output light corrected for chromatic aberration for the set of color channels.

A solid state electrically variable focal length lens includes a plurality of concentric rings of electro-optical material, wherein the electro-optical material comprises any material of a class of hydrogen-doped phase-change metal oxide and wherein each respective concentric ring further includes a transparent resistive sheet on a first face of the respective concentric ring, wherein the transparent resistive sheet extends along the first face, and a first voltage coupled between a first end and a second end of the transparent resistive sheet, wherein the first voltage may be varied to select an optical beam deflection angle.

An optical phase shifter may include a waveguide core that has a top surface, and a semiconductor contact that is laterally displaced relative to the waveguide core and is electrically connected to the waveguide core. A top surface of the semiconductor contact is above the top surface of the waveguide core. The waveguide core may include a p-type core region and an n-type core region. A p-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the n-type core region of the waveguide core, and an n-type semiconductor region may be in physical contact with the p-type core region of the waveguide core. A phase shifter region and a light-emitting region may be disposed at different depth levels, and the light-emitting region may emit light from a phase shifter region that is in a position adjacent to the light-emitting region.

A wavelength conversion system comprising a transport system for a laser beam comprising: a circular polarization laser beam; an articulated arm comprising a mirror at each of its joints, arranged at 45° with respect to said laser beam; each of said mirrors having a phase shift between the reflected components of less than 10°; means for converting said laser beam from circular polarization to linear polarization and providing a linear polarization output laser beam; a non-linear converter for converting the wavelength of said output laser beam to linear polarization.

An optical beam steering device may include a tunable laser diode configured to emit laser beams and an antenna that includes a grating structure and is configured to convert the laser beams to a linear light source based on the grating structure. The tunable laser diode may emit a first laser beam having a first wavelength, and emit a second laser beam having a second wavelength, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The antenna may receive the first laser beam and, in response, output a first linear light source having a first emission angle with a surface of the antenna. The antenna may further receive the second laser beam and, in response, output a second linear light source having a second emission angle with the surface of the antenna, the second emission angle different from the first angle.

Provided is a light modulation element including a first contact layer, a second contact layer, an active layer provided between the first contact layer and the second contact layer, a first contact plug provided between the first contact layer and the active layer, and a second contact plug provided between the second contact layer and the active layer, wherein a width of at least one of the first contact plug and the second contact plug is less than a width of the active layer.

An optical switch includes a bus waveguide supported by a substrate, a coupling waveguide suspended over the bus waveguide, a reaction electrode coupled with, and adjacent to, the coupling waveguide, an actuation electrode supported by the substrate and configured to control a position of the coupling waveguide relative to the bus waveguide via the reaction electrode, and an optical antenna coupled with the coupling waveguide and disposed at a fixed distance from the bus waveguide. When a voltage difference between the reaction electrode and the actuation electrode is less than a lower threshold, the coupling waveguide is positioned a first distance from the bus waveguide, when the voltage difference between the reaction electrode and the actuation electrode is greater than an upper threshold, the coupling waveguide is positioned a second distance from the bus waveguide, and the second distance is less than the first distance.

An optical switch includes a bus waveguide and an optical antenna supported by a substrate, a first and second coupling waveguide, a first and second actuation electrode, and a first and second reaction electrode. The first coupling waveguide is disposed parallel with the substrate and aligned with the bus waveguide. The first reaction electrode is coupled with, and adjacent to, the first coupling waveguide. The second coupling waveguide is optically connected with the first coupling waveguide and suspended over and configured to optically couple with the optical antenna. The second reaction electrode is coupled with, and adjacent to, the second coupling waveguide. The first and second actuation electrodes are supported by the substrate and configured to control the position of the first and second coupling waveguide, respectively, relative to the bus waveguide and optical antenna, via the first and second reaction electrodes.

A Liquid Crystal Waveguide (LCW) system can provide sub-aperture incoupling or outcoupling of light having an input wavelength and input beamsize defining an aperture characteristic of the system. A Liquid Crystal Waveguide (LCW) can include a generally planar LCW core to receive light via a light input zone for communication toward a light output zone. Sub-aperture interfacial light couplers can be planarly arranged in or parallel to the planar LCW core in the light input zone or the light output zone. Sub-aperture interfacial light couplers can include teeth, prisms, or facets, a photonic crystal metasurface, or a geometric-phased holograph (GPH)). Overall LCW thickness can be reduced, which can be helpful in space-limited applications or for reducing material costs.