Large scale steerable coherent optical switched arrays
Aspects of the present disclosure describe large scale steerable optical switched arrays that may be fabricated on a common substrate including many thousands or more emitters that may be arranged in a curved pattern at the focal plane of a lens thereby allowing the directional control of emitted light and selective reception of reflected light suitable for use in imaging, ranging, and sensing applications including accident avoidance.
1. An optical structure comprising:
a light source;
a plurality of optical emitters;
an optical power distribution network optically connecting the light source to the plurality of optical emitters, said optical power distribution network including a plurality of individually controllable switches; and
a plurality of gratings, where two or more of the plurality of optical emitters is each configured to direct optical power to a corresponding one of the plurality of gratings;
wherein said switches are configured such that optical power emitted from the light source that enters the optical power distribution network will be emitted from a selected subset of the plurality of optical emitters.
2. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels of switches and switches at a same level are all switched simultaneously.
3. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical emitters are arranged along a common arc.
4. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels and switches at one level operate at a speed different from the speed of operation for switches at a different level.
5. The optical structure of claim 4 wherein the switches proximate to the plurality of emitters operate at the slowest speed(s).
6. The optical structure of claim 1 further comprising an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power.
7. The optical structure of claim 6 wherein the optical element comprises a lens.
8. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network is a tree network and the switches include at least one of: one or more 1×2 switches, one or more 1×3 switches, one or more 1×4 switches, one or more 2×2 switches, or one or more 2×3 switches.
9. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network and the plurality of emitters are fabricated on a common substrate.
10. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the optical power distribution network, the plurality of emitters, and the light source are all resident on a common substrate.
11. The optical structure of claim 1 further comprising a coherent receiver.
12. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein each one of individually controllable switches is one selected from the group consisting of thermo-optic and electro-optic switch(es).
13. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of optical emitters is one selected from the group consisting of: an optical grating, end-fire facet, plasmonic emitter, metal antennae, and mirror facet.
14. The optical structure of claim 7 wherein the optical element further comprises a grating and the grating is positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power between one of the plurality of optical emitters and the lens.
15. The optical structure of claim 7 wherein the lens is configured and positioned to focus optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.
16. The optical structure of claim 6 wherein the optical element is configured and positioned to receive optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.
17. The optical structure of claim 6 wherein the optical element comprises at least one grating.
18. The optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical emitters are configured to emit from positions arranged over two dimensions of a plane.
19. The optical structure of claim 18 further comprising an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power and configured to produce a substantially flat focal plane coincident with the plane over which the positions of the plurality of optical emitters are arranged.
20. An optical structure comprising:
a light source;
a plurality of optical emitters;
an optical power distribution network optically connecting the light source to the plurality of optical emitters, said optical power distribution network including a plurality of individually controllable switches, where the plurality of optical emitters are configured to emit from positions arranged over two dimensions of a plane; and
an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power and configured to produce a substantially flat focal plane coincident with the plane over which the positions of the plurality of optical emitters are arranged;
wherein said switches are configured such that optical power emitted from the light source that enters the optical power distribution network will be emitted from a selected subset of the plurality of optical emitters.
21. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels of switches and switches at a same level are all switched simultaneously.
22. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the plurality of optical emitters are arranged along a common arc.
23. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the plurality of individually controllable switches are organized into levels and switches at one level operate at a speed different from the speed of operation for switches at a different level.
24. The optical structure of claim 23 wherein the switches proximate to the plurality of emitters operate at the slowest speed(s).
25. The optical structure of claim 20 further comprising an optical element positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power.
26. The optical structure of claim 25 wherein the optical element comprises a lens.
27. The optical structure of claim 26 wherein the optical element further comprises a grating and the grating is positioned in the optical path of the emitted optical power between one of the plurality of optical emitters and the lens.
28. The optical structure of claim 26 wherein the lens is configured and positioned to focus optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.
29. The optical structure of claim 25 wherein the optical element is configured and positioned to receive optical power from each one of the plurality of optical emitters.
30. The optical structure of claim 25 wherein the optical element comprises at least one grating.
31. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the optical power distribution network is a tree network and the switches include at least one of: one or more 1×2 switches, one or more 1×3 switches, one or more 1×4 switches, one or more 2×2 switches, or one or more 2×3 switches.
32. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the optical power distribution network and the plurality of emitters are fabricated on a common substrate.
33. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein the optical power distribution network, the plurality of emitters, and the light source are all resident on a common substrate.
34. The optical structure of claim 20 further comprising a coherent receiver.
35. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein each one of individually controllable switches is one selected from the group consisting of thermo-optic and electro-optic switch(es).
36. The optical structure of claim 20 wherein each one of the plurality of optical emitters is one selected from the group consisting of: an optical grating, end-fire facet, plasmonic emitter, metal antennae, and mirror facet.
37. The optical structure of claim 20 further comprising a plurality of gratings, where two or more of the plurality of optical emitters is each configured to direct optical power to a corresponding one of the plurality of gratings.