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Title: Optical phased arrays with evanescently-coupled antennas

Abstract

An optical phased array formed of a large number of nanophotonic antenna elements can be used to project complex images into the far field. These nanophotonic phased arrays, including the nanophotonic antenna elements and waveguides, can be formed on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Directional couplers evanescently couple light from the waveguides to the nanophotonic antenna elements, which emit the light as beams with phases and amplitudes selected so that the emitted beams interfere in the far field to produce the desired pattern. In some cases, each antenna in the phased array may be optically coupled to a corresponding variable delay line, such as a thermo-optically tuned waveguide or a liquid-filled cell, which can be used to vary the phase of the antenna's output (and the resulting far-field interference pattern).

Inventors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1174183
Patent Number(s):
8,988,754
Application Number:
14/149,099
Assignee:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Jan 07
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Sun, Jie, Watts, Michael R, Yaacobi, Ami, and Timurdogan, Erman. Optical phased arrays with evanescently-coupled antennas. United States: N. p., 2015. Web.
Sun, Jie, Watts, Michael R, Yaacobi, Ami, & Timurdogan, Erman. Optical phased arrays with evanescently-coupled antennas. United States.
Sun, Jie, Watts, Michael R, Yaacobi, Ami, and Timurdogan, Erman. 2015. "Optical phased arrays with evanescently-coupled antennas". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1174183.
@article{osti_1174183,
title = {Optical phased arrays with evanescently-coupled antennas},
author = {Sun, Jie and Watts, Michael R and Yaacobi, Ami and Timurdogan, Erman},
abstractNote = {An optical phased array formed of a large number of nanophotonic antenna elements can be used to project complex images into the far field. These nanophotonic phased arrays, including the nanophotonic antenna elements and waveguides, can be formed on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Directional couplers evanescently couple light from the waveguides to the nanophotonic antenna elements, which emit the light as beams with phases and amplitudes selected so that the emitted beams interfere in the far field to produce the desired pattern. In some cases, each antenna in the phased array may be optically coupled to a corresponding variable delay line, such as a thermo-optically tuned waveguide or a liquid-filled cell, which can be used to vary the phase of the antenna's output (and the resulting far-field interference pattern).},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1174183}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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