Silicon photonics lens assisted beam steering emitter pixel array and photo-acoustic imaging pixel array devices

1 . A silicon photonics integrated beam steering device, comprising:

a chained Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) optical switch array comprising a plurality of MZI optical switches in series;

the plurality of MZI optical switches comprising:

a first MZI optical switch configured in series with a second MZI optical switch, wherein the first MZI optical switch comprises a first MZI switch upper input port, a first MZI switch lower input port, a first MZI switch upper output port, a first MZI switch lower output port, and wherein the second MZI optical switch comprises a second MZI switch upper input port, a second MZI switch lower input port, a second MZI switch upper output port, a second MZI switch lower output port;

wherein the first MZI switch upper input port is configured to receive input light;

a pixel array having a first pixel and a second pixel, each pixel comprising one or more optical structures configured to receive optical signals from the chained MZI optical switch array;

wherein the first MZI switch upper output port is operably coupled to the first pixel, and the first MZI switch lower output port is operably coupled to the second MZI switch upper input port; and

wherein the second MZI switch upper output port is operably coupled to the second pixel;

wherein optical waveguides of the plurality of MZI optical switches and the one or more optical structures of the pixel array are formed in a same waveguide core layer.

2 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light source;

a light dispenser;

wherein the first MZI optical switch further comprises a first control circuit;

wherein the second MZI optical switch further comprises a second control circuit;

wherein the light source is operably coupled to the light dispenser;

wherein the light dispenser is operably coupled to the first MZI optical switch; and

wherein the device is configured to selectively transmit a light emission, produced by the light source, along a plurality of optical paths to at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel in response to a first control voltage applied to the first control circuit and a second control voltage applied to the second control circuit.

3 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 2 , wherein the light dispenser comprises:

a waveguide; and

a beam splitter or a dispenser array having a plurality of output ports.

4 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein each MZI optical switch comprises an optical directional coupler.

5 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein each MZI optical switch comprises a multimode interferometer (MMI).

6 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the first pixel and the second pixel of the pixel array each comprise at least one of an emitter pixel and an imaging pixel.

7 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of MZI optical switches further comprises a third MZI optical switch configured in series with the second MZI optical switch, wherein the third MZI optical switch comprises a third MZI switch upper input port, a third MZI switch lower input port, a third MZI switch upper output port, a third MZI switch lower output port;

the pixel array further comprises a third pixel;

the second MZI switch lower output port is operably coupled with the third MZI switch upper input port; and

the third MZI switch upper output port is operably coupled with the third pixel and the third MZI switch lower output port is configured to couple with an additional MZI optical switch.

8 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 3 , wherein the dispenser array comprises at least one of a chained MZI optical switch array, a binary optical switch array, and a splitter array.

9 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the emitter pixel comprises a waveguide grating coupler.

10 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the emitter pixel comprises a 45-degree vertical emitter facet mirror.

11 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the emitter pixel comprises a microlens.

12 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the imaging pixel comprises a Mach-Zehnder Interferometer.

13 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the imaging pixel comprises a ring resonator.

14 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the imaging pixel comprises suspended waveguide.

15 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 6 , wherein the imaging pixel comprises a photo-detector.

16 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the first MZI optical switch and the second MZI optical switch operate using at least one of a thermal-optic effect and an electro-optic effect.

17 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 1 , wherein the optical waveguide is configured as at least one of a silicon waveguide, a silica waveguide, a silicon nitride waveguide, a polymer waveguide, and a lithium niobate waveguide.

18 . A silicon photonics integrated beam steering device, comprising:

a light source;

a light dispenser array operably coupled to the light source and comprising a plurality of light dispensers each having an output port, wherein each light dispenser output port is operably coupled to a chained Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) optical switch array;

each chained MZI optical switch array comprising a plurality of MZI optical switches, wherein: (a) a first MZI optical switch is operably coupled in series with a second MZI optical switch, (b) the first MZI optical switch comprises a first MZI switch upper input port, a first MZI switch lower input port, a first MZI switch upper output port, a first MZI switch lower output port, and (c) the second MZI optical switch comprises a second MZI switch upper input port, a second MZI switch lower input port, a second MZI switch upper output port, a second MZI switch lower output port, and (d) the first MZI switch upper input port is operably coupled with a light dispenser, the first MZI switch upper output port is operably coupled with a first pixel, the first MZI switch lower output port is operably coupled with the second MZI switch upper input port, the second MZI switch upper output port is operably coupled with a second pixel, and the second MZI switch lower output port is configured to operably couple with an additional MZI optical switch; and

a pixel array comprising the first pixel and the second pixel, each pixel comprising one or more optical structures configured to receive optical signals from the chained MZI optical switch array;

wherein optical waveguides of the plurality of MZI optical switches and the one or more optical structures of the pixel array are formed in a same waveguide core layer.

19 . A silicon photonics integrated beam steering device, comprising:

a chained Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) optical switch array comprising a plurality of MZI optical switches in series;

the plurality of MZI optical switches comprising:

a first MZI optical switch comprising a first 1×2 multimode interferometer (MMI) on its input side and a first 2×2 MMI on its output side;

a second MZI optical switch comprising a second 1×2 MMI on its input side and a second 2×2 MMI on its output side;

the first MZI optical switch being configured in series with the second MZI optical switch, wherein the first MZI optical switch comprises a first MZI switch input port, two first MZI switch output ports and wherein the second MZI optical switch comprises a second MZI switch input port, two second MZI switch output ports;

wherein the first MZI switch input port is configured to receive input light;

a pixel array having a first pixel and a second pixel, each pixel comprising one or more optical structures configured to receive optical signals from the chained MZI optical switch array;

wherein a first output port of the first MZI optical switch is operably coupled to the first pixel, and a second output port of the first MZI optical switch is operably coupled to the second MZI switch input port; and

wherein at least one output port of the second MZI optical switch is operably coupled to the second pixel;

wherein optical waveguides of the plurality of MZI optical switches and the one or more optical structures of the pixel array are formed in a same waveguide core layer.

20 . The silicon photonics integrated beam steering device of claim 19 , further comprising:

a light source;

a light dispenser;

wherein the first MZI optical switch further comprises a first control circuit;

wherein the second MZI optical switch further comprises a second control circuit;

wherein the light source is operably coupled to the light dispenser;

wherein the light dispenser is operably coupled to the first MZI optical switch; and

wherein the device is configured to selectively transmit a light emission, produced by the light source, along a plurality of optical paths to at least one of the first pixel and the second pixel in response to a first control voltage applied to the first control circuit and a second control voltage applied to the second control circuit.