Electro-optic crystal, diffraction-based, beam-steering element

1. A beam-steering element, comprising a plurality of electrode layers and one electro-optic crystal layer made of potassium tantalate niobate interposed between every two adjacent electrode layers, the electrode layers being transparent to an incoming beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layer, wherein each electro-optic layer includes a surface figure that is a function of the wavelength of an incoming beam.

2. The element of claim 1 , wherein each electro-optic crystal layer and the electrode layer adjacent thereto have an aspect ratio of about 1:1.

3. The element of claim 1 , further comprising two substrates on which two outermost electrode layers are respectively formed.

4. The element of claim 3 , wherein the substrates are transparent to an incoming beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layer.

5. The element of claim 4 , further comprising a reflective layer coated on one of the substrate.

6. The element of claim 4 , wherein the incoming beam includes at least one optical beam having a wavelength of about 1.55 microns.

7. The element of claim 1 , wherein the electrode layers have a surface figure of about 1/50 of the wavelength of the incoming beam.

8. The element of claim 1 , wherein the incoming beam includes at least one optical beam having a wavelength of about 1.55 microns.

9. The element of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrode layers includes a plurality of electrodes spaced from each other by a gap.

10. The element of claim 9 , wherein the gap has a width of about 0.5 microns.

11. The element of claim 9 , wherein the electrodes are fabricated from indium tin oxide.

12. The element of claim 9 , wherein the gaps are filled with an insulation material.

13. The element of claim 11 , wherein the insulation material includes silicon oxide.

14. The element of claim 9 , wherein each of the electrodes has a width of about 1.0 microns.

15. The element of claim 9 , wherein the electrodes of each electrode layer are aligned with the respective electrodes of the other electrode layers.

16. The element of claim 1 , wherein each of the electrode layers includes ten electrodes.

17. The element of claim 16 , wherein the electrodes of each electrode layers are aligned in at least one row.

18. The element of claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical crystal layer is about 1.5 microns thick.

19. An electro-optic crystal beam-steering element, comprising:

a first module and a second module, each comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

at least three electrode layers interposed between the first and second substrates; and

at least two electro-optic crystal layers interposed between each pair of the adjacent electrode layers, each electro-optic layer having a surface figure that is a function of the wavelength of an incoming optical beam to be modulated by the electo-optic crystal layers; wherein

the second substrate of the first module is attached to the second substrate of the second module.

20. The element of claim 19 , wherein the second substrates are thinner than the first substrates.

21. The element of claim 19 , wherein the second substrates of the first and second module have a thickness substantially the same as that of each electrode layer.

22. The element of claim 19 , further comprising an anti-reflection coating coated to the second substrate of at least one the first and second modules.

23. The element of claim 19 , wherein the electrode layers and the first and second substrates are transparent to at least one incoming optical beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layer.

24. The element of claim 23 , wherein the incoming optical beam has a wavelength of about 1.55 microns.

25. The element of claim 23 , wherein each of the electro-optic crystal layers has an aspect ratio of modulator thickness to electrode thickness of 1:1.

26. The element of claim 19 , wherein each of the electrode layers includes an array of electrodes spaced from each other by a gap.

27. The element of claim 26 , wherein the gaps are filled with an insulation material.

28. The element of claim 19 , wherein both the electrode layers and the electro-optic layers are planarized to a surface flatness of about one fiftieth of the wavelength of an incoming optical beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layers.

29. The element of claim 19 , wherein the electro-optic crystal layers are fabricated from potassium tantalate niobate.

30. A method of fabricating an electro-optic, agile beam-steering device, comprising forming an electro-optic modulation layer and a plurality of electrodes having an aspect ratio of about 1:1, wherein each electro-optic layer includes a surface figure that is a function of the wavelength of an incoming beam.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the electro-optic modulation layer includes potassium tantalate niobate. optic modulation layer includes potassium tantalate niobate.

32. An electro-optic, agile beam-steering device, comprising an electro-optic modulation layer and a plurality of electrodes having an aspect ratio of about 1:1, wherein each electro-optic layer includes a surface figure that is a funtion of the wavelength of an incoming beam.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the electro-optic modulation layer includes a potassium tantalate niobate layer. layer includes a potassium tantalate niobate layer.

34. A beam-steering element, comprising:

a plurality of electrode layers;

one electro-optic crystal layer made of potassium tantalite niobate interposed between every two adjacent electrode layers; and

two substrates on which two outmost electrode layers are respectively formed, the substrates being transparent to an incoming beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layer, wherein a reflective layer is coated on a surface of one of the substrates opposite the electrode layer.

35. The element of claim 34 , wherein each electro-optic crystal layer and the electrode layer adjacent thereto have an aspect ratio of about 1:1.

36. The element of claim 34 , wherein the electrode layers are transparent to an incoming beam to be modulated by the electro-optic crystal layers.

37. The element of claim 34 , wherein each of the electrode layers includes a plurality of electrodes spaced from each other by a gap.

38. The element of claim 34 , wherein the gaps are filled with an insulation material.

39. An electro-optic crystal beam-steering element, comprising:

a first module and a second module, each comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate, wherein an anti-reflective coating is

coated on at least one of the substrates;

at least three electrode layers interposed between the first and second substrates; and

at least two electro-optic crystal layers interposed between each pair of the

adjacent electrode layers; wherein

the second substrate of the first module is attached to the second substrate of the second module.

40. The element of claim 39 , wherein the second substrates of the first and second module have a thickness substantially the same as that of each electrode layer.

41. The element of claim 39 , wherein each of the electro-optic crystal layers has an aspect ratio of modulator thickness to electrode thickness of 1:1.

42. The element of claim 39 , wherein each of the electrode layers includes an array of electrodes spaced from each other by a gap.

43. The element of claim 42 , wherein the gaps are filled with insulation material.

44. An electro-optic, agile beam-steering device, comprising an electro-optic modulation layer, a plurality of electrodes having an aspect ratio of about 1:1, the electrodes being formed on a substrate, wherein an anti-reflective coating is coated on a surface of the substrate opposite the electrodes.

45. The device of claim 44 , wherein the electro-optic modulation layer includes a potassium tantalate niobate layer.