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Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station
Published on: April 1, 2020
Far field intensity of a partially locked optical phased array
1University of New Mexico, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Institute for Modern Optics, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87117, USA.
Applied Optics
|December 1, 1984
Summary
Imperfect frequency locking in optical phased arrays degrades performance. This study provides an analytical method to quantify the impact of laser coherence on the far-field intensity pattern and Strehl ratio.
Area of Science:
- Optics
- Photonics
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Optical phased arrays (OPAs) are crucial for beam steering.
- Imperfect frequency locking between lasers in OPAs can significantly impact their performance.
- Understanding these effects is vital for designing robust OPA systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of imperfect frequency locking on OPA performance.
- To develop an analytical expression for the far-field intensity pattern.
- To determine the Strehl ratio for injection-coupled OPAs under various conditions.
Main Methods:
- Developed an analytic expression for the far-field intensity pattern.
- Expressed the pattern in terms of the degree of mutual coherence between lasers.
- Applied the analytical results to calculate the Strehl ratio.
Main Results:
- Derived an analytical expression linking far-field intensity to laser mutual coherence.
- Quantified the Strehl ratio reduction due to imperfect frequency locking.
- Showcased the influence of slave resonator length control, intensity ratios, and pulse durations on performance.
Conclusions:
- Imperfect frequency locking directly affects the far-field intensity and Strehl ratio of OPAs.
- The derived analytical framework allows for performance prediction and optimization.
- This work provides a quantitative understanding for designing more resilient optical phased arrays.
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