Liquid Crystal Optical Phased Array Research Articles

Direct investigation and accurate control of phase profile in liquid-crystal optical-phased array for beam steering

An experimental setup and simple method were proposed to investigate and control the actual phase profile in a high-spatial-resolution liquid-crystal optical-phased array (LCOPA). A crossed polarizer and high-resolution microscope objective were employed to transform the light distribution out of the liquid-crystal layer into a polarization-interference pattern in which the phase-profile information was wrapped. The polarization-interference pattern was then directly translated into the actual phase profile. Based on this setup, a method was developed to accurately control the actual phase profile, and the steering efficiency at the steering angle of 16 mrad was increased from 80% to 90%. The proposed method also helps in increasing the steering efficiency when disclination lines appear.

Grating lobes analysis based on blazed grating theory for liquid crystal optical-phased array

The grating lobes of the liquid crystal optical-phased array (LCOPA) based on blazed grating theory is studied. Using the Fraunhofer propagation principle, the analytical expressions of the far-field intensity distribution are derived. Subsequently, we can obtain both the locations and the intensities of the grating lobes. The derived analytical functions that provide an insight into single-slit diffraction and multislit interference effect on the grating lobes are discussed. Utilizing the conventional microwave-phased array technique, the intensities of the grating lobes and the main lobe are almost the same. Different from this, the derived analytical functions demonstrate that the intensities of the grating lobes are less than that of the main lobe. The computer simulations and experiments show that the proposed method can correctly estimate the locations and the intensities of the grating lobes for a LCOPA simultaneously.

液晶相控阵衍射效率的优化分析

液晶相控阵衍射效率的优化分析

Optical Space-Time Division Multiple Access

This work presents an approach to multiple access for free-space laser communication (lasercom) called space-time division multiple access, which aggregates traffic from multiple users at the network edge. The objective is to share resources to lower the cost, size, weight, and power consumption per user, thereby making lasercom feasible for users that require only moderate average information rates. This concept relies on fast, agile electronic beam steering, which was implemented in this investigation using liquid crystal optical phased arrays. We designed and built an experimental terminal incorporating a bidirectional communication aperture that was shared among the users, and two independently operated acquisition and tracking apertures. Using two remote user terminals, experiments were conducted to measure access node performance for a variety of operating conditions traceable to anticipated applications. The transmit and receive directions of the downlink and uplink communications channels were rapidly hopped between the two users, and data were exchanged between the access node and a user while the optical channel dwelled on the latter. Results showed that the measured information throughput efficiency correlated well with model predictions and was high enough to realize the expected advantages in applications with many users. Throughput efficiencies, defined as the actual data throughput as a percentage of the throughput without multiple access, exceeded 85% for dwell times of 100 ms and greater. This translates into an average information rate of 400 Mb/s for as many as 20 simultaneous users. Current optical phased arrays are capable of providing fast transitions between remote users, with values measured in the range 10-18 ms. The use of persistent tracking links was a key factor in achieving fast transitions, and it was found that motion of the remote terminals had no significant impact on performance.

Modeling and analysis of liquid crystal optical phased array

A comprehensive physical model describing the dependence of the steering performances on the various physical parameters of a liquid crystal optical phased array (LCOPA) is proposed. Then several typical factors affecting the steering performances of the LCOPA are investigated. The quantificational computation and simulation of the influence factors are discussed in details, the relationship between key performances of LCOPA with the influence factors are analyzed numerically, and the optimization methods are conducted based on analysis results. Finally, the experimental results of laser are compared with the simulation results based on the comprehensive model, the simulation far-field diffraction patterns are basically accord with experimental photographs.

Dual beam deflection of liquid crystal optical phased array

Dual beam deflection models based on one dimensional liquid crystal optical phased array (LCOPA) are discussed and compared in this letter. The far-field diffraction performance of the models is influenced by various impact factors, such as fill factor and fringing electric fields. For optimizing far-field diffraction performance, the combined influence of different impact factors is analyzed and a phase iterative algorithm which use the root-mean-square (RMS) phase deviation as a performance index is presented. The proposed algorithm is able to reduce phase deviation and improve the performance of far-field diffraction pattern at the same time. The simulation and experiments used in the letter effectively verify the proposed algorithm.

液晶光学相控阵光束偏转效率研究

液晶光学相控阵光束偏转效率研究

Beam Pointing Precision Control by Using a Liquid Crystal Optical Phased Array

For laser beam steering, a pure optical-electric system without mechanical or inertial parts is used. The new device is a Liquid Crystal Optical Phased Array (LCOPA). Supplying electric field to liquid crystal cell with electrodes, the extraordinary refractive index changes, which results in phase shift that modulates the direction of incident beam. The advantages of this device are small size, less energy consuming, programmable and addressable control. A one dimensional device is designed and tested. The resolution of the steering angle is 20 μrad, the range is ±2o. The effect of flyback region and phase valley on diffraction efficiency is also discussed briefly.

Radiation testing of liquid crystal optical devices for space laser communication

Liquid crystal optical phased arrays are an enabling technology for a variety of photonic and electronic beam manipulation functions, including steering, control of polarization, and amplitude and phase modulation. For applications in the emerging field of space laser communications, such devices would need to survive in the space environment for 10 to 15 years. To assess suitability and identify potential issues, a series of experiments were conducted in which nematic liquid crystal devices were subjected to three radiation environments: total dose (gamma), prompt dose (x rays), and fast neutrons. Tests were conducted using simple phase retarder devices, which served as surrogates for beamsteering devices. Impacts to optical and electrical characteristics of the devices at 1.55 µm were measured after incremental exposure trials. Modest effects were observed, but none were deemed significant enough to impact performance of the devices for space communication beamsteering applications.

Influence of phase delay profile on diffraction efficiency of liquid crystal optical phased array

The hardware structure and driving voltage of liquid crystal optical phased array (LCOPA) devices determine the produced phase delay characteristics. The phase delay profile influences directly the device's diffraction efficiency. In this paper, a sawtooth-shaped phase delay model of LCOPA was proposed to analyze quantitatively the influence factors of diffraction efficiency employing Fourier optics theory. Analysis results show that flyback region size is the main factor that affects diffraction efficiency. The influence extent varies with different maximum-phase-delays and grating periods. There exists an optimized curve between maximum-phase-delay and flyback region, and between maximum-phase-delay and grating period, individually. The smaller the grating period is or the larger the flyback region is, the more evident the optimization effect becomes, and the maximum increase ratio is up to 16%. Some feasible experiments were done to test theoretical analysis, and the experimental results agreed with the analysis results.

Modeling and design of an optimized liquid-crystal optical phased array

In this paper, the physics that determines the performance limits of a diffractive optical element based on a liquid-crystal (LC) optical phased array (OPA) is investigated by numerical modeling. The influence of the fringing electric fields, the LC material properties, and the voltage optimization process is discussed. General design issues related to the LC OPA configuration, the diffraction angle, and the diffraction efficiency are discussed. A design for a wide-angle LC OPA is proposed for high-efficiency laser beam steering. This work provides fundamental understanding for a light beam deflected by a diffractive liquid-crystal device.

Finite-difference time-domain simulation of a liquid-crystal optical phased array

Accurate modeling of a high-resolution, liquid-crystal-based, optical phased array (OPA) is demonstrated. The modeling method is extendable to cases where the array element size is close to the wavelength of light. This is accomplished through calculating an equilibrium liquid-crystal (LC) director field that takes into account the fringing electric fields in LC OPAs with small array elements and by calculating the light transmission with a finite-difference time-domain method that has been extended for use in birefringent materials. The diffraction efficiency for a test device is calculated and compared with the simulation.

2D director calculation for liquid crystal optical phased array

A practical numerical model for a liquid crystal cell is set up based on the geometrical structure of liquid crystal optical phased arrays. Model parameters include width and space of electrodes, thickness of liquid crystal layer, alignment layers and glass substrates, pre-tilted angles, dielectric constants, elastic constants and so on. According to electrostatic field theory and Frank-Oseen elastic continuum theory, 2D electric potential distribution and 2D director distribution are calculated by means of the finite difference method on non-uniform grids. The influence of cell sizes on director distribution is analyzed. The fringe field effect between electrodes is also discussed.

Restoration of broadband imagery steered with a liquid-crystal optical phased array

In many imaging applications, it is highly desirable to replace mechanical beam-steering components (i.e., mirrors and gimbals) with a nonmechanical device. One such device is a nematic liquid crystal optical phased array (LCOPA). An LCOPA can implement a blazed phase grating to steer the incident light. However, when a phase grating is used in a broadband imaging system, two adverse effects can occur. First, dispersion will cause different incident wavelengths arriving at the same angle to be steered to different output angles, causing chromatic aberrations in the image plane. Second, the device will steer energy not only to the first diffraction order, but to others as well. This multiple-order effect results in multiple copies of the scene appearing in the image plane. We describe a digital image restoration technique designed to overcome these degradations. The proposed postprocessing technique is based on a Wiener deconvolution filter. The technique, however, is applicable only to scenes containing objects with approximately constant reflectivities over the spectral region of interest. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique.