Low-power optical beam steering by microelectromechanical waveguide gratings.

Area of Science:

• Integrated photonics
• Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
• Optical engineering

Background:

• Optical beam steering is crucial for applications like optical communications, lidar, and medical imaging.
• Current integrated photonic devices often require high power consumption, limiting their efficiency.
• There is a need for power-efficient beam steering solutions in miniaturized optical systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate a novel optical beam steering method using MEMS actuation of a silicon photonic waveguide grating.
• To achieve significant beam steering angles with minimal power consumption.
• To establish a foundation for next-generation, power-efficient optical beam steering systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a suspended silicon photonic waveguide grating.
• Integration of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for actuating the grating.
• Experimental characterization of beam steering performance and power consumption.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated optical beam steering up to 5.6 degrees using MEMS actuation.
• Achieved power consumption below the microwatt (μW) level.
• Showcased a power reduction of over five orders of magnitude compared to thermo-optic tuning methods.

Conclusions:

• The novel integration of MEMS with silicon photonics offers a highly power-efficient solution for optical beam steering.
• This technology enables the development of miniaturized, low-power optical systems for diverse applications.
• The demonstrated approach paves the way for advancements in energy-efficient optical communication and imaging systems.