Abstract: A liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) can include actively controlled incoupling of light into a LCW, such as by using a voltage-controlled electrode to actively vary a property of an LC material arranged to affect the incoupling of light into the LCW. Actively varying light incoupling into the LCW can be used, for example, such as for calibration or compensation or to provide closed-loop feedback such as to stabilize the amount of light into the LCW while accommodating or reducing sensitivity of the LCW to variations in one or more of: input laser light incidence angle, input laser wavelength, LCW or input laser temperature, input laser optical power level, or the like. This can advantageously help improve or maximize light incoupling efficiency, which can improve performance and robustness of the LCW under actual operating conditions. The LCW can be used for, among other things, beamsteering in in-plane and out-of-plane directions.

Abstract: A liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) can include actively controlled incoupling of light into a LCW, such as by using a voltage-controlled electrode to actively vary a property of an LC material arranged to affect the incoupling of light into the LCW. Actively varying light incoupling into the LCW can be used, for example, such as for calibration or compensation or to provide closed-loop feedback such as to stabilize the amount of light into the LCW while accommodating or reducing sensitivity of the LCW to variations in one or more of: input laser light incidence angle, input laser wavelength, LCW or input laser temperature, input laser optical power level, or the like. This can advantageously help improve or maximize light incoupling efficiency, which can improve performance and robustness of the LCW under actual operating conditions. The LCW can be used for, among other things, beamsteering in in-plane and out-of-plane directions.

Abstract: An optical coupler can be provided for coupling a light beam into a waveguide. The optical coupler can include a stepped structure, such as to reduce difficulties during manufacture, reduce expenses associated with manufacture, and additionally, to provide an increased acceptance angle of the optical coupler. The waveguide can include a guiding region where a cladding thickness can be increased relative to a coupling region, such as to reduce losses due to evanescent outcoupling in the guiding region.