Fast 2D Beam Steering Device Integrated Directly on High Power VCSEL arrays

直接集成在高功率 VCSEL 阵列上的快速 2D 光束控制器件

• 批准号: 2154109
• 负责人: Weidong Zhou
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Arlington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-10-01 至 2025-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2154109&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fast; 2D; Beam; Steering; Device

Optical beam steering at high speed is of critical importance for many emerging applications, including autonomous driving, augmented reality, free space communications, 3D sensing and imaging systems. Most existing solutions rely on mechanical movements to steer the light beam direction, which is slow and bulky. The objective of this project is to investigate a fast 2D optical beam steering devices based on the electrical tuning of coupled bi-layer photonic crystal cavities directly integrated on high power vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays. High speed phase tuning can be accomplished with the electrical control of refractive index of the semiconductor material. Leveraging the advances in semiconductor laser technology, integrated photonics technology, and nanophotonics, the proposed solution can result in very compact size, low power consumption, and high reliability. Co-design of nanophotonic cavity with high power VCSEL arrays can provide a disruptive technology for high performance laser detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems. Additionally, the project offers a platform for student education and training, help preparation of diversified workforces in photonics and optics, sensing and imaging, nanotechnology, and manufacturing.Phase control can be achieved in single and bi-layer coupled photonic crystal slabs. High speed modulation/tuning is feasible with electronic control. Both transmissive and reflective phase tuning elements can be realized with the formation of arrays for high speed spatial light modulators (SLMs) and optical phased arrays (OPAs). The objective here is to investigate some fundamental challenges towards a high scanning speed beam steering OPA structure integrated with high power VCSELs capable of full phase control at 1 GHz speed and above. With this project, various challenges associated with the integrated OPA/VCSEL will be addressed. The integrated modular solution can result in simplified optical design and assembly for compact and reliable LiDAR and beam steering applications. The proposed approach has the following innovative features: (1) High speed: The structure can operate at GHz regime, which will be 2-3 orders of magnitude faster than other approaches based on mechanical scanning technique or conventional spatial light modulator (SLM) technologies. (2) Reliable: The structure is based on co-design and co-packaging of OPAs with VCSELs with simplified optical beam routing schemes and mechanical integration structures. (3) Scalable: The proposed structure architecture is planar, CMOS compatible, and scalable in 2D, which ensures its manufacturing scalability and device pixel scalability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

对于许多新兴应用，包括自动驾驶，增强现实，自由空间通信，3D传感和成像系统在内的许多新兴应用至关重要。大多数现有的解决方案都依靠机械运动来引导光束方向缓慢而笨重。该项目的目的是根据直接集成在高功率垂直空腔表面发射激光器（VCSEL）阵列上的耦合双层光子晶体腔的电气调整，研究快速的2D光束转向设备。可以通过半导体材料的折射率的电控制来完成高速相调。利用半导体激光技术，集成光子技术和纳米光子学的进步，提出的解决方案可能会导致非常紧凑的尺寸，低功耗和高可靠性。与高功率VCSEL阵列的纳米光腔共设计可以为高性能激光检测和射程（LIDAR）系统提供破坏性的技术。此外，该项目还提供了一个用于学生教育和培训的平台，帮助准备光子和光学，传感和成像，纳米技术和制造业的多元化劳动力。可以在单一和双层耦合光子晶体板中实现相位控制。通过电子控制，高速调制/调整是可行的。可以通过形成高速空间光调节器（SLM）和光学阶段阵列（OPA）的阵列来实现透射和反射相调的元件。这里的目的是研究针对高功率VCSEL集成的高扫描速度梁转向OPA结构的一些基本挑战，该结构能够以1 GHz速度及以上的全相控制。通过此项目，将解决与集成OPA/VCSEL相关的各种挑战。集成的模块化解决方案可以导致简化的光学设计和组装，以实现紧凑而可靠的LIDAR和光束转向应用。所提出的方法具有以下创新特征：（1）高速：该结构可以在GHz制度下运行，该结构将比基于机械扫描技术或常规空间光调制器（SLM）技术的其他方法快2-3个数量级。 （2）可靠：该结构基于与简化的光束路由方案和机械整合结构的VCSEL的共同设计和共包装。 （3）可扩展：所提出的结构体系结构是平面，CMOS兼容和可扩展的2D，这确保了其制造可伸缩性和设备像素可伸缩性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子和更广泛影响的评估审查标准来通过评估来支持的。

项目成果

High-speed tunable optical absorber based on a coupled photonic crystal slab and monolayer graphene structure

基于耦合光子晶体板和单层石墨烯结构的高速可调谐光吸收器

• DOI: 10.1364/oe.476763
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Optics Express
• 影响因子: 3.8
• 作者: Pan, Mingsen;Liu, Aaron;Liu, Zhonghe;Zhou, Weidong
• 通讯作者: Zhou, Weidong