An integrated optical beam steering device includes a planar Luneburg lens that collimates beams from different inputs in different directions within the lens plane. It also includes a curved (e.g., semi-circular or arced) grating coupler that diffracts the collimated beams out of the lens plane. The beams can be steered in the plane by controlling the direction along which the lens is illuminated and out of the plane by varying the beam wavelength. Unlike other beam steering devices, this device can operate over an extremely wide field of view—up to 180°—without any aberrations off boresight. In other words, the beam quality is uniform in all directions, unlike with aplanatic lenses, thanks to the circular symmetry of the planar Luneburg lens, which may be composed of subwavelength features. The lens is also robust to misalignment and fabrication imperfections and can be made using standard CMOS processes.

A method for producing a microoptoelectromechanical component and a corresponding microoptoelectromechanical component. The microoptoelectromechanical component is equipped with a base substrate comprising a cavity which is formed therein and is closed by a covering substrate, an optical waveguide on the covering substrate above the cavity, which optical waveguide comprises a sheathed waveguide core, an electrical contact element in the region of the surrounding covering substrate, wherein a contact pad formed by an electrically conductive polysilicon layer is arranged underneath the electrical contact element, wherein the optical waveguide and the covering substrate located thereunder are divided into a stationary portion and a deflectable portion, which can be docked to the stationary portion by electrically deflecting the corresponding portion of the covering wafer.

A method for producing a microoptoelectromechanical component and a corresponding microoptoelectromechanical component. The microoptoelectromechanical component is equipped with a base substrate comprising a cavity which is formed therein and is closed by a covering substrate, an optical waveguide on the covering substrate above the cavity, which optical waveguide comprises a sheathed waveguide core, an electrical contact element in the region of the surrounding covering substrate, wherein a contact pad formed by an electrically conductive polysilicon layer is arranged underneath the electrical contact element, wherein the optical waveguide and the covering substrate located thereunder are divided into a stationary portion and a deflectable portion, which can be docked to the stationary portion by electrically deflecting the corresponding portion of the covering wafer.

In the examples provided herein, an apparatus has a mode converter coupled to a first waveguide to convert light propagating in a first set of spatial modes along the first waveguide to a second set of spatial modes. The apparatus also has a second waveguide coupled to the mode converter, where the second set of spatial modes propagate along the second waveguide in a first direction away from the mode converter. Further, the apparatus includes a coupler to couple a portion of the light propagating in the second set of spatial modes out of the second waveguide. Additionally, the second waveguide has an end facet away from the mode converter to reduce back reflection of the light not coupled out of the second waveguide to the first waveguide.

In the examples provided herein, an apparatus has a mode converter coupled to a first waveguide to convert light propagating in a first set of spatial modes along the first waveguide to a second set of spatial modes. The apparatus also has a second waveguide coupled to the mode converter, where the second set of spatial modes propagate along the second waveguide in a first direction away from the mode converter. Further, the apparatus includes a coupler to couple a portion of the light propagating in the second set of spatial modes out of the second waveguide. Additionally, the second waveguide has an end facet away from the mode converter to reduce back reflection of the light not coupled out of the second waveguide to the first waveguide.

An optical scanner includes a light receiving unit, a reference light irradiating unit, and a light-receiving-side correcting unit. The light receiving unit includes an optical phased array that implements scanning by a light beam by individually controlling phases of a plurality of branched lights using a scanning phase amount. The reference light irradiating unit generates reference light and irradiate the reference light onto the light receiving unit. The light-receiving-side correcting unit estimates a phase shift amount that occurs in the plurality of branched lights as a result of distortion of a substrate on which the light receiving unit is mounted from a detection result of the light receiving unit onto which the reference light is incident, and sets a phase adjustment amount to be applied to the plurality of branched lights such that the estimated phase shift amount decreases.

An optoelectronic emitter with a phased array antenna on a photonic chip includes a power splitter, an array of phase shifters and elementary emitters, and an integrated control device. The integrated control device includes an interferometric focusing lens, the entrance and exit faces of which are curved and define a free propagation region with a homogeneous refractive index. Input waveguides are connected to the entrance face orthogonal thereto and have an effective index for the guided modes adapted such that the optical paths of the input waveguides are identical to each other.

An optical circuit includes one or more input waveguides, a plurality of output waveguides, and a reflector structure. At least a portion of the reflector structure forms an interface with the one or more input waveguides. The portion of the reflector structure has a smaller refractive index than the one or more input waveguides. An electrical circuit is electrically coupled to the optical circuit. The electrical circuit generates and sends different electrical signals to the reflector structure. In response to the reflector structure receiving the different electrical signals, a carrier concentration level at or near the interface or a temperature at or near the interface changes, such that incident radiation received from the one or more input waveguides is tunably reflected by the reflector structure into a targeted output waveguide of the plurality of output waveguides.

A method includes illuminating a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) of a transmit aperture of a laser communication terminal and a PIC of a receive aperture of the laser communication terminal with multi-wavelength light, where each PIC includes multiple antenna elements forming an optical phased array (OPA). The method also includes determining light intensities of different wavelengths of the multi-wavelength light after the multi-wavelength light has passed through each PIC. The method further includes estimating phases of light associated with the antenna elements based on variations in the light intensities. In addition, the method includes adjusting one or more phase shifters of at least one of the PICs based on the estimated phases of light.

An apparatus includes a cladding layer and a plurality of waveguides. The cladding layer includes a central axis. The plurality of waveguides are disposed within the cladding layer and receive a light from a light source. The plurality of waveguides have refractive indices that are adjustable to change a mode of the light such that the mode of the light is steered towards the central axis.