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Modulator chip based on semiconductor heterostructures with a surface diffraction grating for laser beam steering
Applied Optics
|November 22, 2021
Summary
Optimizing a chip with a surface diffraction grating enhances laser beam steering. Maximum field of view is near total internal reflection, with highest efficiency using a Bragg reflector.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Semiconductor device physics
Background:
- Laser beam steering is crucial for applications like optical communication and sensing.
- Surface diffraction gratings offer a compact method for beam manipulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the design parameters of a heterostructure chip with a surface diffraction grating for laser beam angle modulation.
- To investigate the trade-offs between field of view, energy efficiency, and beam steering capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Design parameter optimization using simulations.
- Analysis of outcoupling angles and their relation to total internal reflection.
- Incorporation of epitaxy Bragg reflectors and multiple quantum wells.
Main Results:
- Widest field of view achieved at outcoupling angles near total internal reflection.
- Highest energy efficiency obtained with an epitaxy Bragg reflector on the substrate side.
- A multiple quantum well with electro-optic refractive index modulation of 0.007 and a second-order surface diffraction grating (317 nm period) enabled 5° beam steering with 130-point resolution at 782 nm wavelength.
Conclusions:
- The optimized chip design demonstrates effective laser beam steering capabilities.
- The findings provide a pathway for developing advanced beam modulation devices.
