A liquid crystal based optical deflector includes a light source array configured to generate a laser beam, an optical deflector including a plurality of liquid crystal cells, which transmit the laser beam, the optical deflector configured to deflect a transmission path of the laser beam depending on a gradually increased voltage profile applied to the plurality of liquid crystal cells, an optics assembly configured to scan the laser beam deflected by the optical defector in a horizontal direction, and a controller configured to adjust the voltage profile applied to the plurality of liquid crystal cells.

Embodiments of the invention are directed compositions and devices that include a spatially-variant lattice (SVL), such as spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPC), as well as methods for making and using the same. In particular, the compositions and devices include SVPCs that are configured for manipulating the path and/or properties of electromagnetic radiation flowing through the SVPC in a variety of ways.

A system includes a spatial light modulator and a controller. The spatial light modulator is configured to perform phase modulation of a light that passes through a liquid crystal by applying individual voltages to the liquid crystal from each of a plurality of electrodes. The controller is configured to control the voltages applied to the liquid crystal from each of the plurality of electrodes based on phase image data. The phase image data represents values of each pixel corresponding to each of the plurality of electrodes by predetermined gradations. The controller converts gradation values, which are the values of each pixel, into voltages input to the electrodes corresponding to each pixel. The controller is configured to change a fluctuation width from a minimum value to a maximum value of the input voltages corresponding to a fluctuation width from a minimum value to a maximum value of the gradation values.

Methods and devices for manipulating optical signals. In one example, a LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) device includes a surface bearing an anti-reflection structure. The anti-reflection structure includes i) a physical surface having a topography with features having lateral dimensions of less than 2000 nm and having an average refraction index which decreases with distance away from the surface; and ii) a configuration of the topography, averaged over lateral dimensions of greater than 2000 nm, varies with lateral position on the surface.

An optical phased array includes, in part, N optical signal emitting elements, and N lenses each associated with a different one of the N optical signal emitting elements and positioned to form an image of its associated signal emitting element, where N is an integer greater than 1. The optical signal emitting elements may be a grating coupler, an edge coupler, and the like. At least a number of the lenses may be formed from Silicon. The optical phased array may optionally include one or more concave or convex lens positioned between the signal emitting elements and the N lenses. The optical signal emitting elements may be formed in a silicon dioxide layer formed above a semiconductor substrate and the lenses may be formed from Silicon disposed above the silicon dioxide layer. The optical signal emitting elements may receive an optical signal generated by the same source.

An optical system is provided which includes a light source which outputs light; a first waveguide; a transmissive reflective layer provided on a top surface of the first waveguide and configured to reflect some light and transmit the remaining light incident thereon; a second waveguide provided on a top surface of the transmissive reflective layer; an in-coupler provided on the first waveguide and configured to allow the light output by the light source to enter the first waveguide; and an out-coupler provided on one of the first waveguide and the second waveguide and configured to emit light from the optical system.

A laser beam shaping system includes at least one doped medium which is doped with a dopant and which is optically transparent at the first wavelength range and a beam input or coupling configured to generate or receive a shaped beam that is required to be shaped, the shaped beam being at a first wavelength range and directed towards the doped medium. The system includes an absorbed beam input or coupling configured to generate or receive at least one absorbed beam at a second wavelength range which is different from the first wavelength range and which is directed towards the doped medium. The doped medium has a higher beam absorption characteristic at the second wavelength range than at the first wavelength range, causing the absorbed beam to have a higher absorption than the shaped beam in the doped medium. The doped medium has a coating which allows high transmission of both the first and the second wavelength ranges.

A visible light band reflection metasurface device and a reflected light wavelength modulation method. The device successively includes, from top to bottom, a metal metasurface layer with periodically arranged antenna units, a modulation layer formed by an electro-optic material, a metal reflection layer and a substrate layer; the antenna unit period is less than the incident wavelength, and the thickness is greater than the skin depth of metal and less than 100 nm; the thickness of the modulation layer is less than the wavelength of the incident light; and the thickness of the metal reflection layer is greater than the skin depth of metal and less than the wavelength of the incident light; and an external voltage source can modulate the color of the reflected light, and can achieve voltage modulation of the color of reflected light in the visible light band.

A visible light band reflection metasurface device and a reflected light wavelength modulation method. The device successively includes, from top to bottom, a metal metasurface layer with periodically arranged antenna units, a modulation layer formed by an electro-optic material, a metal reflection layer and a substrate layer; the antenna unit period is less than the incident wavelength, and the thickness is greater than the skin depth of metal and less than 100 nm; the thickness of the modulation layer is less than the wavelength of the incident light; and the thickness of the metal reflection layer is greater than the skin depth of metal and less than the wavelength of the incident light; and an external voltage source can modulate the color of the reflected light, and can achieve voltage modulation of the color of reflected light in the visible light band.

A beam scanning apparatus capable of adjusting a refraction angle of transmitted light and scanning a beam to a desired location is provided. In addition, an optical apparatus capable of sensing light reflected from an external object and extracting information about the external object is provided. The beam scanning apparatus includes a rotary meta lens having a plurality of meta areas in which a plurality of fine phase shift elements are arranged, and a rotation drive device that rotates the rotary meta lens. The plurality of meta areas are configured to direct transmitted light to different locations in a scanning area.