Abstract: According to various embodiments, a solid-state light detection and ranging (LiDAR) transmitter includes a tunable optical metasurface to selectively steer incident optical radiation long an azimuth axis. In some embodiments, different subsets of lasers in an array of lasers are activated to generate optical radiation for incidence on the metasurface at different angles of incidence on an elevation axis for unsteered deflection by the metasurface at corresponding angles of elevation. In some embodiments, a prism is positioned relative to the tunable optical metasurface to deflect the optical radiation from the optical assembly by the optical radiation source for incidence on the metasurface at an angle of incidence that is between the first steering angle and the second steering angle, such that the optical radiation incident on the metasurface and the steered output optical radiation from the metasurface spatially overlap within the prism.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a tunable optical device comprises a tunable optical metasurface on a substrate with an integrated driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a photon shield layer to prevent optical radiation from disrupting operation of the driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a diagnostic circuit to detect and disable defective optical structures of the metasurface. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated heater circuit that maintains a liquid crystal of the metasurface above a minimum operating temperature. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated lidar sequencing controller, a steering pattern subcircuit, and a photodetector circuit.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a tunable optical device comprises a tunable optical metasurface on a substrate with an integrated driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a photon shield layer to prevent optical radiation from disrupting operation of the driver circuit. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes a diagnostic circuit to detect and disable defective optical structures of the metasurface. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated heater circuit that maintains a liquid crystal of the metasurface above a minimum operating temperature. In some embodiments, the tunable optical device includes an integrated lidar sequencing controller, a steering pattern subcircuit, and a photodetector circuit.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a cover is sealed over a metasurface on a substrate to create a sealed chamber. Liquid crystal, or another tunable refractive index dielectric material, is positioned within the sealed chamber around optical structures of the metasurface before or after the cover is sealed. For example, the liquid crystal may be injected through small vias or holes to fill a sealed chamber. In some embodiments, a glass cover is shaped or patterned with photoresist to protrude into the sealed chamber to reduce the thickness of the liquid crystal used to fill the sealed chamber. A driver to control the metasurface may be, for example, integrated within the substrate, be attached to exposed bond pads of the metasurface, and/or be embodied as a control layer connected to the metasurface through the substrate by through-substrate vias (TSVs).

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a tunable optical metasurface includes an array of elongated resonator rails arranged parallel to one another. Liquid crystal is positioned within an optical field region between adjacent resonator rails. A controller can selectively apply a voltage differential pattern to the elongated resonator rails to adjust a phase response thereof. According to various embodiments, a cross-backplane reflector is utilized that allows for mid-array routing or edge-array routing of electrical connections between the controller and the resonator rails. The cross-backplane reflector comprises a plurality of elongated optical reflectors extending parallel to one another and perpendicular to the array of resonator rails. An optically transmissive (e.g., transparent) dielectric may electrically separate the resonator rails from the optical reflectors. A pattern of vias formed therein facilitates electrical connections between the optical reflectors and the resonator rails.

Abstract: A tunable, optical metasurface can include an optically reflective surface to reflect optical radiation, such as infrared laser light. An array of optical resonant antennas may, for example, extend from or otherwise be positioned on the reflective surface with sub-wavelength spacings of, for example, less than one-half of a wavelength. Voltage-controlled liquid crystal may be positioned in the optical field region of each of the optical resonant antennas. A controller may apply a voltage differential bias pattern to the liquid crystal of optical resonant antennas, that may be arranged in tiled, interleaved, or randomly arranged subsets of optical resonant antennas to attain one-dimensional beam steering, two-dimensional beam steering, and/or spatial beam shaping.

Abstract: An example optical transceiver system, such as a solid-state light detection and ranging (lidar) system, includes a tunable, optically reflective metasurface to selectively reflect incident optical radiation as transmit scan lines at transmit steering angles between a first steering angle and a second steering angle. In some embodiments, a feedback element, such as a volume Bragg grating element, may lock a laser to narrow the band of optical radiation. A receiver may include a tunable, optically reflective metasurface for receiver line-scanning or a two-dimensional array of detector elements forming a set of discrete receive scan lines. In embodiments incorporating a two-dimensional array of detector elements, receiver optics may direct optical radiation incident at each of a plurality of discrete receive steering angles to a unique subset of the discrete receive scan lines of detector elements.

Abstract: A tunable, optical metasurface can include an optically reflective surface to reflect optical radiation, such as infrared laser light. An array of optical resonant antennas may, for example, extend from or otherwise be positioned on the reflective surface with sub-wavelength spacings of, for example, less than one-half of a wavelength. Voltage-controlled liquid crystal may be positioned in the optical field region of each of the optical resonant antennas. A controller may apply a voltage differential bias pattern to the liquid crystal of optical resonant antennas, that may be arranged in tiled, interleaved, or randomly arranged subsets of optical resonant antennas to attain one-dimensional beam steering, two-dimensional beam steering, and/or spatial beam shaping.

Abstract: A transceiver system may include first and second metasurfaces, such as radio frequency (RF) metasurfaces or optically reflective tunable liquid crystal metasurfaces (LCMs). In one specific example, a transmit LCM may be tuned by a controller to steerably reflect incident optical radiation at a target transmit steering angle. A laser or other optical radiation source may transmit optical radiation to the transmit LCM at a first angle of incidence. The controller may tune the second tunable LCM to steerably receive optical radiation at a target receive steering angle corresponding to the target transmit steering angle. The received optical radiation may be reflected at a second angle of incidence to a detector.

Abstract: A tunable, optical metasurface can include an optically reflective surface to reflect optical radiation, such as infrared laser light. An array of optical resonant antennas may, for example, extend from or otherwise be positioned on the reflective surface with sub-wavelength spacings of, for example, less than one-half of a wavelength. Voltage-controlled liquid crystal may be positioned in the optical field region of each of the optical resonant antennas. A controller may apply a voltage differential bias pattern to the liquid crystal of optical resonant antennas, that may be arranged in tiled, interleaved, or randomly arranged subsets of optical resonant antennas to attain one-dimensional beam steering, two-dimensional beam steering, and/or spatial beam shaping.