Research progress of liquid crystal based light beam steering technique

ZOU Yong-chao; SI Lei; TAO Ru-mao; ZHOU Pu; MA Hao-tong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1001-3806.2011.03.002

Volume 35 Issue 3

May 2013

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Research progress of liquid crystal based light beam steering technique

1.
College of Optoelectronics Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

Corresponding author: SI Lei, w_zt@163.com ;
Received Date: 2010-11-18
Accepted Date: 2010-11-16

Abstract

Liquid crystal based beam steering technology has advantages of high accuracy，low power consumption and random-access pointing etc. Firstly, the worldwide research status was introduced. Secondly, the basic principle and performance indexes，in company with the research progress and bottleneck, of beam steering system based on liquid crystal were described in detail. Combining liquid crystal material with wide-angle step-steering devices, a few techniques for wide-angle beam steering were compared. Finally, the development trend of novel liquid crystal based beam steering technology was previewed.
- optical devices,
- light beam steering,
- liquid crystal,
- optical phased array

References

[1]	McMANAMON P F,DORSCHNER T A,CORKUM D L,et al.Optical phased array technology[J].Proceedings of the IEEE,1996,84(2):268-298.
[2]	ZHANG J,FANG Y,WU L Y.Liquid crystal beam steering technologies[J].Chinese Journal of Lasers,2010,37(2):326-334 (in Chinese).
[3]	THOLL D H.Novel laser beam steering techniques[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2006,6397:639708/1-639708/14.
[4]	McMANAMON P F,BOS P J,ESCUTI M J,et al.A review of phased array steering for narrow-band electrooptical systems[J].Proceedings of IEEE,2009,97(6):1078-1096.
[5]	McMANAMON P F.Agile nonmechanical beam steering[J].Optical and Photonics News,2006,17(3):24-29.
[6]	McMANAMON P F.An overview of optical phased array technology and status[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5947:594701/1-594701/10.
[7]	ZHOU P,XU X J,LIU Z J.New technology and new configuration for high energy laser system[J].Laser & Optoelectronics Progress,2008(1):1-6(in Chinese).
[8]	ZHANG J,XU L,WU L Y.Programmable beam steering based on liquid crystal optical phased array[J].Acta Photonic Sinica,2008,37(8):1497-1502(in Chinese).
[9]	GRUNEISEN M T.Programmable diffractive optics for wide-dynamic-range wavefront control using liquid-crystal spatial light modulators[J].Optical Engineering,2004,43(6):1387-1393.
[10]	SHI L,MCMANAMON P F,BOS P J.Liquid crystal optical phase plate with a variable in-plane gradient[J].Applied Physics,2008,104(3):033109-033112.
[11]	JAU H C,LIN T H,FUNG R X,et al.Optically-tunable beam steering grating based on azobenzene doped cholesteric liquid crystal[J].Optics Express,2010，18(16)：17498-17503.
[12]	XU L,HUANG Z Q.Quantitative analysis on flyback region problem of 1-D transmissive liquid crystal optical phased array devices[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7658:76580N/1-76580N/6.
[13]	ENGSTROM D,O'CALLAGHAN M J,WALKER C,et al.Fast beam steering with a ferroelectric-liquid-crystal optical phased array[J].Applied Optics,2009,48(9):1721-1726.
[14]	PISHNYAK O.Smectic-a-filled birefringent elements and fast switching twisted dual-frequency nematic cells used for digital light deflection[J].Optical Engineering,2006,45(4):0440021-0440029.
[15]	SHARMA N,ZMUDA H.MIMO based optical phased array technology with electronic beam steering for laser radar applications[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7700:77000E/1-77000E/5.
[16]	AKATAY A,ATAMAN C,UREY H.High-resolution beam steering using microlens arrays[J].Optics Letters,2006,31(19):2861-2863.
[17]	BOURDERIONNET J,RUNGENHAGEN M,DOLFI D,et al.Continuous laser beam steering with micro-optical arrays-experimental results[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2008,7113:71130Z/1-71130Z/11.
[18]	AKATAY A,UREY H.Design and optimization of microlens array based high resolution beam steering system[J].Optics Express,2007,15(8):4523-4528.
[19]	SHI L,SHI J R,McMANAMON P F.Design considerations for high efficiency liquid crystal decentered microlens arrays for steering light[J].Applied Optics,2010,49(3):409-421.
[20]	LIN Y H,MAHAJAN M,TABER D,et al.Compact 4 cm aperture transmissive liquid crystal optical phased array for free-space optical communications[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5892:55920c/1-55920c/10.
[21]	GLCKNER S,GRING R.Investigation of statistical variations between lenslets of micro-lens arrays[J].Applied Optics,1997,36(19):4438-4445.
[22]	WATSON E A,WHITAKER W E,BREWER C D,et al.Implementing optical phased array beam steering with cascaded micro-lens arrays[J].Proceedings of the IEEE,2002,3:1429-1436.
[23]	OH C,ESCUTI M J.Achromatic polarization gratings as highly efficient thin-film polarizing beam splitters for broadband light[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2007,6682:668211/1-668211/12.
[24]	KIM J,OH C,ESCUTI M J,et al.Wide-angle nonmechanical beam steering using thin liquid crystal polarization gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2008,7093:709302/1-709302/12.
[25]	OH C,KIM J,MUTH J M,et al.A new beam steering concept:Risley gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2009,7466:74660J/1-74660J/8.
[26]	KIM J,MISKIEWICZ M N,SERATI S.High efficiency quasi-ternary design for nonmechanical beam-steering utilizing polarization gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7816:78160G/1-78160G/11.
[27]	GLEBOV L.Fluorinated silicate glass for conventional and holographic optical elements[C].Proceedings of SPIE,2007,6545:654707/1-654707/10.
[28]	VOROBIEV N,GLEBOV L,SMIRNOV V.Single-frequency-mode Q-switched Nd:YAG and Er:glass lasers controlled by volume bragg gratings[J].Optical Express,2006,16(12):9199-9204.
[29]	CIAPURIN I V,GLEBOV L B,SMIRNOV V I.Modeling of Gaussian beam diffraction on volume Bragg gratings PTR glass[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5742:57420/1~57420/6.
[30]	SMITH I W,HOLZ M K O.Wide angle beam steering system:US,7215472[P].2008-09-23.

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

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Research progress of liquid crystal based light beam steering technique

Corresponding author: SI Lei, w_zt@163.com;

1. College of Optoelectronics Science and Engineering, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha 410073, China

Received Date: 2010-11-18

Accepted Date: 2010-11-16

Available Online: 2011-05-25

Abstract: Liquid crystal based beam steering technology has advantages of high accuracy，low power consumption and random-access pointing etc. Firstly, the worldwide research status was introduced. Secondly, the basic principle and performance indexes，in company with the research progress and bottleneck, of beam steering system based on liquid crystal were described in detail. Combining liquid crystal material with wide-angle step-steering devices, a few techniques for wide-angle beam steering were compared. Finally, the development trend of novel liquid crystal based beam steering technology was previewed.

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Reference (30)

[1]	McMANAMON P F,DORSCHNER T A,CORKUM D L,et al.Optical phased array technology[J].Proceedings of the IEEE,1996,84(2):268-298.
[2]	ZHANG J,FANG Y,WU L Y.Liquid crystal beam steering technologies[J].Chinese Journal of Lasers,2010,37(2):326-334 (in Chinese).
[3]	THOLL D H.Novel laser beam steering techniques[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2006,6397:639708/1-639708/14.
[4]	McMANAMON P F,BOS P J,ESCUTI M J,et al.A review of phased array steering for narrow-band electrooptical systems[J].Proceedings of IEEE,2009,97(6):1078-1096.
[5]	McMANAMON P F.Agile nonmechanical beam steering[J].Optical and Photonics News,2006,17(3):24-29.
[6]	McMANAMON P F.An overview of optical phased array technology and status[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5947:594701/1-594701/10.
[7]	ZHOU P,XU X J,LIU Z J.New technology and new configuration for high energy laser system[J].Laser & Optoelectronics Progress,2008(1):1-6(in Chinese).
[8]	ZHANG J,XU L,WU L Y.Programmable beam steering based on liquid crystal optical phased array[J].Acta Photonic Sinica,2008,37(8):1497-1502(in Chinese).
[9]	GRUNEISEN M T.Programmable diffractive optics for wide-dynamic-range wavefront control using liquid-crystal spatial light modulators[J].Optical Engineering,2004,43(6):1387-1393.
[10]	SHI L,MCMANAMON P F,BOS P J.Liquid crystal optical phase plate with a variable in-plane gradient[J].Applied Physics,2008,104(3):033109-033112.
[11]	JAU H C,LIN T H,FUNG R X,et al.Optically-tunable beam steering grating based on azobenzene doped cholesteric liquid crystal[J].Optics Express,2010，18(16)：17498-17503.
[12]	XU L,HUANG Z Q.Quantitative analysis on flyback region problem of 1-D transmissive liquid crystal optical phased array devices[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7658:76580N/1-76580N/6.
[13]	ENGSTROM D,O'CALLAGHAN M J,WALKER C,et al.Fast beam steering with a ferroelectric-liquid-crystal optical phased array[J].Applied Optics,2009,48(9):1721-1726.
[14]	PISHNYAK O.Smectic-a-filled birefringent elements and fast switching twisted dual-frequency nematic cells used for digital light deflection[J].Optical Engineering,2006,45(4):0440021-0440029.
[15]	SHARMA N,ZMUDA H.MIMO based optical phased array technology with electronic beam steering for laser radar applications[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7700:77000E/1-77000E/5.
[16]	AKATAY A,ATAMAN C,UREY H.High-resolution beam steering using microlens arrays[J].Optics Letters,2006,31(19):2861-2863.
[17]	BOURDERIONNET J,RUNGENHAGEN M,DOLFI D,et al.Continuous laser beam steering with micro-optical arrays-experimental results[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2008,7113:71130Z/1-71130Z/11.
[18]	AKATAY A,UREY H.Design and optimization of microlens array based high resolution beam steering system[J].Optics Express,2007,15(8):4523-4528.
[19]	SHI L,SHI J R,McMANAMON P F.Design considerations for high efficiency liquid crystal decentered microlens arrays for steering light[J].Applied Optics,2010,49(3):409-421.
[20]	LIN Y H,MAHAJAN M,TABER D,et al.Compact 4 cm aperture transmissive liquid crystal optical phased array for free-space optical communications[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5892:55920c/1-55920c/10.
[21]	GLCKNER S,GRING R.Investigation of statistical variations between lenslets of micro-lens arrays[J].Applied Optics,1997,36(19):4438-4445.
[22]	WATSON E A,WHITAKER W E,BREWER C D,et al.Implementing optical phased array beam steering with cascaded micro-lens arrays[J].Proceedings of the IEEE,2002,3:1429-1436.
[23]	OH C,ESCUTI M J.Achromatic polarization gratings as highly efficient thin-film polarizing beam splitters for broadband light[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2007,6682:668211/1-668211/12.
[24]	KIM J,OH C,ESCUTI M J,et al.Wide-angle nonmechanical beam steering using thin liquid crystal polarization gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2008,7093:709302/1-709302/12.
[25]	OH C,KIM J,MUTH J M,et al.A new beam steering concept:Risley gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2009,7466:74660J/1-74660J/8.
[26]	KIM J,MISKIEWICZ M N,SERATI S.High efficiency quasi-ternary design for nonmechanical beam-steering utilizing polarization gratings[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2010,7816:78160G/1-78160G/11.
[27]	GLEBOV L.Fluorinated silicate glass for conventional and holographic optical elements[C].Proceedings of SPIE,2007,6545:654707/1-654707/10.
[28]	VOROBIEV N,GLEBOV L,SMIRNOV V.Single-frequency-mode Q-switched Nd:YAG and Er:glass lasers controlled by volume bragg gratings[J].Optical Express,2006,16(12):9199-9204.
[29]	CIAPURIN I V,GLEBOV L B,SMIRNOV V I.Modeling of Gaussian beam diffraction on volume Bragg gratings PTR glass[J].Proceedings of SPIE,2005,5742:57420/1~57420/6.
[30]	SMITH I W,HOLZ M K O.Wide angle beam steering system:US,7215472[P].2008-09-23.

Research progress of liquid crystal based light beam steering technique

Abstract

References

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Proportional views