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.

高速光束转向对于许多新兴应用至关重要，包括自动驾驶、增强现实、自由空间通信、3D传感和成像系统。大多数现有的解决方案依赖于机械运动来控制光束的方向，这是缓慢而笨重的。本课题的目的是研究一种基于电调谐耦合光子晶体腔直接集成在高功率垂直腔面发射激光器（VCSEL）阵列上的快速二维光束转向装置。通过对半导体材料折射率的电控制，可以实现高速相位调谐。利用半导体激光技术、集成光子学技术和纳米光子学的进步，提出的解决方案可以实现非常紧凑的尺寸、低功耗和高可靠性。纳米光子腔与高功率VCSEL阵列的协同设计可以为高性能激光探测和测距（LiDAR）系统提供一种颠覆性技术。此外，该项目还为学生提供了一个教育和培训的平台，帮助培养光子学和光学、传感和成像、纳米技术和制造业的多元化劳动力。相位控制可以在单层和双层耦合光子晶体板中实现。高速调制/调谐是可行的电子控制。高速空间光调制器（slm）和光学相控阵（OPAs）阵列可以实现透射和反射相位调谐元件。本文的目标是研究高扫描速度波束转向OPA结构与高功率vcsel集成的一些基本挑战，该结构能够在1ghz及以上的速度下进行全相位控制。通过该项目，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简化光学设计和组装，从而实现紧凑可靠的激光雷达和光束转向应用。该方法具有以下创新特点：(1)速度高：该结构可以在GHz频段工作，比基于机械扫描技术或传统空间光调制器（SLM）技术的其他方法快2-3个数量级。(2)可靠性：该结构基于opa与vcsel的协同设计和共封装，具有简化的光束路由方案和机械集成结构。(3)可扩展性：提出的结构架构是平面的，兼容CMOS，可在2D上扩展，保证了其制造的可扩展性和器件像素的可扩展性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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