Non-moving optical beam steering using non-pixelated liquid crystal optical phased arrays

1 . An apparatus comprising:

a first device comprising:

a first liquid crystal layer having a first director; and

a first impedance layer coupled to the first liquid crystal layer, the first impedance layer comprising:

a first electrode having a first comb pattern;

a second electrode in a second comb pattern, the second comb pattern interlaced with the first comb pattern; and

an opaque portion between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a second device configured to optically couple to the first device, the second device comprising:

a second liquid crystal layer having a second director; and

a second impedance layer coupled to the second liquid crystal layer, the second impedance layer comprising a third electrode.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first director is in a similar orientation to that of the second director.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first director is about perpendicular to the second director.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a half-wave plate disposed between the first device and the second device, the half-wave plate having a slow axis, wherein the slow axis is about 45 degrees from the first director.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opaque portion includes opaque material configurable to reduce redirection of light in an area between the first and second electrodes.

6 . An apparatus comprising:

a first device comprising:

a first liquid crystal layer having a first director; and

an impedance layer coupled to the first liquid crystal layer, the impedance layer comprising:

a first electrode having a first configuration; and

a second electrode having a second configuration, in which the second electrode has a same shape as the first electrode and is disposed offset relative to a disposition of the first electrode; and

a second device optically coupled to the first device, the second device comprising:

a second liquid crystal layer having a second director, the second director of the second liquid crystal layer approximately perpendicular to the first director of the first liquid crystal layer; and

third and fourth electrodes having the first and second configurations, respectively.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first device is configured to:

adjust, by the impedance layer, the first director of the first liquid crystal layer;

receive polarized light; and

steer, using the first liquid crystal layer, the polarized light in a first direction to produce second light, and wherein the second device is configured to:

receive the second light; and

steer, using the second liquid crystal layer, the second light in a second direction different than the first direction, the second director of the second liquid crystal layer approximately perpendicular to the first director of the first liquid crystal layer.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first device is configured to:

adjust, by the impedance layer, the first director of the first liquid crystal layer;

receive unpolarized light; and

steer, using the first liquid crystal layer, the unpolarized light in a first direction to produce second light, and wherein the second device is configured to:

receive the second light; and

steer, using the second liquid crystal layer, the second light in a second direction different than the first direction, the second director of the second liquid crystal layer approximately perpendicular to the first director of the first liquid crystal layer.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a half-wave plate disposed between the first device and the second device.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the impedance layer is a first high impedance layer on the first liquid crystal layer, and the second device further comprises a second high impedance layer on the second liquid crystal layer.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first high impedance layer further comprises:

first high impedance material around the first electrode; and

second high impedance material around the second electrode; and

wherein the second high impedance layer further comprises a third high impedance material around the third electrode.

12 . A device comprising:

a liquid crystal layer; and

a high impedance layer on the liquid crystal layer, the high impedance layer comprising:

a first electrode in a first comb pattern;

a second electrode in a second comb pattern, the second comb pattern interlaced with the first comb pattern; and

an opaque portion between the first electrode and the second electrode.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the device is configured to:

receive a light beam along a light path; and

alter the light path by passing the light beam through the liquid crystal layer based on a first voltage on the first electrode and a second voltage on the second electrode.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the light beam is unpolarized.

15 . The device of claim 12 , the high impedance layer further comprising an opaque material between the first electrode and the second electrode.

16 . The device of claim 12 , further comprising:

a low impedance layer on the liquid crystal layer; and

a glass substrate on the low impedance layer.

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the low impedance layer is a first low impedance layer, the liquid crystal layer is a first liquid crystal layer, and the high impedance layer is a first high impedance layer, the device further comprising:

a second low impedance layer on the glass substrate;

a second liquid crystal layer on the low impedance layer; and

a second high impedance layer on the second liquid crystal layer.

18 . The device of claim 12 , further comprising:

a quarter-wave plate on the high impedance layer;

a dielectric mirror on the quarter-wave plate; and

a glass substrate on the dielectric mirror.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein a slow axis of the quarter-wave plate is oriented 45 degrees from a director of the liquid crystal layer.

20 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the first electrode comprises resistors in a spine of the first comb pattern.