Light beam direction control and receiving method based on optical switch array

Abstract

The invention relates to a light beam direction control and receiving method based on an optical switch array. An optical device includes: an optical switch array including a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively transmit light through one or more of a plurality of waveguides; a plurality of emitters, where at least one emitter of the plurality of emitters is disposed in communication with one or more of the plurality of waveguides, and configured to receive light and cause at least a portion of the light to exit the waveguides; and a lens arranged to receive light exiting one or more of the plurality of waveguides via the at least one emitter, where the lens is configured to direct the received light as a light output, and where a position of the at least one emitter relative to the lens facilitates beam direction control of the light output.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of a patent application with application date of September 13, 2019, application number 2019800645197, and titled “Beam direction control and reception method based on optical switch array”.

[0002] Related Applications

[0003] The present disclosure claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. patent application 62 / 731,151, “Beam direction control and reception method based on optical switch array” (filed on September 14, 2018), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all purposes. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to optical devices, and more particularly, to a beam direction control and reception method using an optical switch array. Background Art

[0005] Free-space beam steering and reception have a wide range of applications, including LIDAR (light detection and ranging), free-space communications, and remote sensing. Optical phased arrays have become a common approach to realizing miniature beam steering and reception devices without moving parts. See D.N. Hutchinson, J. Sun, J. K. Doylend, R. Kumar, J. Heck, W. Kim, C.T. Phare, A. Feshali, and H. Rong, “High-resolution aliasing-free optical beamsteering,” Optica 3, 887-890 (2016); see also C.V. Poulton, A. Yaacobi, D.B. Cole, M.J. Byrd, M. Raval, D. Vermeulen, and M.R. Watts, “Coherent solid-state LIDAR with silicon photonic optical phased arrays,” Opt. Lett. 42, 4091-4094 (2017).

[0006] However, the power consumption of an optical phased array is proportional to the number of transmitters in the array (denoted by n). As a result, the structure of a large-scale optical phased array can be complex and also consume a lot of power. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved system. Summary of the invention

[0007] To meet these long-standing needs, in one aspect, the present disclosure provides optical devices and methods of making and using the same. In certain aspects, a method of beam direction control and reception based on an optical switch array is disclosed. Compared with conventional beam direction control and reception methods based on optical phased arrays, this method consumes less power. The disclosed method also allows direct feedback control and is therefore more robust to ambient temperature changes.

[0008] Compared to conventional methods, the power consumption of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein scales as log2n. As a result, the methods and apparatus disclosed herein may consume less power than similar configurations using conventional phased arrays, especially in systems with a relatively large number of transmitters.

[0009] The present disclosure also provides a system comprising a processor that executes stored instructions for performing the steps of the method. The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention.

[0010] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an optical device comprising: an optical switch array comprising a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively send light to one or more of a plurality of waveguides; a plurality of transmitters, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitters is configured to communicate with one or more of the plurality of waveguides and is configured to receive light and cause at least a portion of the light to leave the waveguide; and a lens configured to receive light that leaves one or more of the plurality of waveguides via the at least one transmitter, wherein the lens is configured to direct the received light as a light output, and wherein a position of the at least one transmitter relative to the lens facilitates beam direction control of the light output.

[0011] The present disclosure also provides an optical device, comprising: an optical switch array, comprising a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively send light to one or more of a plurality of waveguides; a plurality of receivers, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers is configured to be connected to one or more of the plurality of waveguides and configured to receive light and couple at least a portion of the light to one or more of the plurality of waveguides; and a lens, configured to receive light and guide the light toward the at least one receiver, wherein the lens is configured to guide the received light as optical input to the at least one receiver, and wherein the position of the at least one receiver relative to the lens facilitates receiving the optical input of a directional light beam.

[0012] Also provided are methods of making and using the devices disclosed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate various aspects discussed in this document by way of example and not limitation. In the drawings:

[0014] Figure 1A A schematic diagram of a beam direction control device based on an optical switch array according to an aspect of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 1B shows a schematic diagram showing the Figure 1A Different emitters of the beam direction control device control the direction to different beam directions.

[0016] Figure 2 A comparison between the disclosed optical switch array-based approach and a conventional optical phased array-based approach is shown.

[0017] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an apparatus for combining 1D beam direction control with an optical switch array and another 1D direction control with wavelength tuning according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3B Shows Figure 3A Schematic diagram of the device.

[0019] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of a device for implementing 2D light beam direction control and reception using an optical switch array according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Figure 4B Shows Figure 4A Schematic diagram of the device.

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an apparatus for achieving complete 2D beam direction control and reception using an optical switch array according to aspects of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present disclosure may be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples which form a part of this disclosure. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific apparatus, methods, applications, conditions or parameters described and / or illustrated herein, and that the terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments by way of example and is not intended to limit the claimed invention.

[0023] In addition, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include the plural, and unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, references to a particular value include at least that particular value. As used herein, the term "plurality" means more than one. When a range of values ​​is expressed, another embodiment includes from one particular value and / or to another particular value. Similarly, when a value is expressed as an approximation by using the antecedent "about", it should be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. All ranges are inclusive and combinable, and it should be understood that the steps can be performed in any order.

[0024] It should be understood that, for clarity, certain features of the invention described herein in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination with a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention described in the context of a single embodiment for brevity may also be provided separately or in any sub-combination. All documents cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for any and all purposes.

[0025] In addition, references to values ​​in ranges include every value within the range. In addition, the term "comprising" should be understood to have its standard, open-ended meaning, but should also be understood to encompass "consisting of." For example, a device that includes part A and part B may include parts other than part A and part B, but may also be formed of only part A and part B.

[0026] Figure 1A A beam direction control and reception device 100 is depicted, which includes an optical switch array 110, a plurality of emitters 120, and a lens 130. The optical switch array may include one or more rows of emitters that may receive light from an input 140. In some embodiments, the emitters are microresonator emitters. In some embodiments, the emitters may include a microresonator cavity formed as a ring or disk. In this way, light may propagate around the outer edge or circumference of the ring or disk. The emitters may (as described elsewhere herein) include gratings on, for example, the outer or inner sidewalls or on top of the microresonator emitters. The gratings may include periodic structures and may be designed to be phase matched. That is, the periodicity of the gratings may be configured to allow diffraction from the guided modes into free space.

[0027] The optical switch array may include multiple optical switches to direct light from the input 140 to one or more emitters and / or emitter groups to achieve the desired output through the lens 130. As shown in FIG1, the optical switches may be placed at the junction between two pairs of waveguides and at subsequent junctions between waveguides. The optical switch array may be controlled with an electrical signal that may allow the light to be switched to different emitters. The emitters allow light to be coupled from the guided modes in the waveguides to free space.

[0028] In some embodiments, lens 130 is a metasurface lens. The metasurface lens may include a plurality of structures, such as pillars 135, which may precisely direct received light to produce a specific output, such as by changing phase, polarization, spectrum, etc. It should be understood that the lens may include pillars of the same size and shape, but may also include pillars of different sizes and shapes.

[0029] Figure 1B The concept is illustrated by showing the control of the direction of the beam from different emitters. In this example, the lens is placed at a distance f from the emitter, where f is the focal length of the lens. The first emitter 170 can direct the light beam through the metasurface lens, and the metasurface lens collimates the light beam 175. The collimated light beam 175 travels substantially parallel to the direction emitted from the emitter 170. When the second emitter 180 emits light through the metasurface lens, the resulting collimated light beam 185 is redirected at an angle θ (e.g., 30°) from the initial emission direction, which can be different from the angle at which the light beam from the first emitter was directed.

[0030] In addition, the metasurface lens according to the embodiments discussed herein can have various thicknesses, concavities, and column shapes and sizes on the surface of the lens. The column size can affect the phase profile of the lens 130, and various column sizes can, for example, result in a metasurface lens with a phase profile of a specific focal length. In addition, various column sizes and configurations allow for aberration-corrected, specifically defined imaging properties. In an embodiment, the metasurface lens is flat. The lattice constant of the column can be 800nm, less than one wavelength of the received light or less than half the wavelength. Lenses with various Strehl ratios (e.g., greater than 0.8) can be used. In some embodiments, the wavelength error can be less than one-tenth of a wave or less than one-fifth of a wave based on RMS.

[0031] By further reference Figure 1A-1B , when light is input into the optical switch array, the beam direction control mechanism can work. By applying appropriate control signals (e.g., electrical signals), the optical switch array can guide light through one or more optical switches 110 to a single emitter 120 and / or multiple emitters. As described above, the light emitted from each emitter can then be collected, for example, by a lens to form a collimated light beam. By applying different signals (e.g., electrical signals) to the optical switch array, light can be switched between different emitters, thereby changing the light emission position. The lens 130 can perform a spatial Fourier transform on the emitted light. Therefore, as Figure 1BAs shown, light emitted from different positions forms collimated beams pointing in different directions. As a result, a directionally controllable beam is formed, the direction of which is controlled by an electrical signal applied to the optical switch array. The disclosed device can also perform beam reception. Due to the reciprocity of light, a device that forms a beam at the output end 160 can also receive a beam when the beam is sent to the device in the opposite direction. As an example, Figure 1A The device shown in is a beam direction control device; if the input end 140 and the output end 160 ports are reversed, the device can become a beam receiving device.

[0032] In order to obtain a large directional control angle, the lens can provide a high numerical aperture and good off-axis aberration correction. More specifically, the lens can provide diffraction-limited performance at large angles. This can be done very compactly with a metasurface lens or a composite lens made using two-photon direct writing. In particular, metasurface lenses (referred to as superlenses in some literature) that can include many subwavelength resonators have been shown to meet these requirements. It has been shown that metasurface lenses can provide diffraction-limited performance up to 30 degrees. See A. Arbabi, E. Arbabi, SM Kamali, Y. Horie, S. Han, and A. Faraon, "Miniature optical planar camera based on a wide-angle metasurface doublet corrected for monochromatic aberration," Nature Communications 7, 13682 (2016). However, conventional lenses made by machining or molding can also be used.

[0033] To optimize light collection from the lens, the optimal emitter size can be based on d opt =(4 / π)(λf / D), where λ is the wavelength of light; f is the focal length of the lens; and D is the diameter of the lens. In order to realize a practical beam direction control and receiving device, the transmitter size d can be selected to be at least 10 times smaller than the optimal transmitter size, that is, d<10d opt .

[0034] One advantage of the disclosed method is that the disclosed technique may consume less power compared to conventional methods (based on optical phased arrays). A comparison of the power consumption between the two methods is given by Figure 2 , which shows an optical switch array comprising 8 waveguides.

[0035] In the optical phased array 220, light is distributed to all emitters, such as the grating emitter 260. In order to coherently combine the light beams, the optical phased array needs to turn on all phase shifters 230 at the same time. In contrast, the disclosed technology only requires turning on the optical switch along the path to a single emitter. In this way, energy can be focused on one or more desired emitters.

[0036] To illustrate the energy saving effect, an optical phased array with 1024 transmitters can be used as an example. The power consumed by such an array is an average of 1024P π , where P π is the power required by the phase shifter to create a π phase shift. On the other hand, an optical switch array with 1024 transmitters only needs to turn on 10 optical switches (Log21024=10). Since each optical switch consumes P π / 2, the power consumption of 1024 optical switch arrays is only 5P π Thus, in this example of 1024 transmitters, the disclosed technique consumes approximately 205 times less power than conventional approaches.

[0037] Another advantage of the disclosed method is the ability to perform direct feedback control, which enables robustness in the face of changing environmental conditions. When environmental conditions (especially temperature) change, the refractive index of the waveguide will change due to thermo-optical effects. As a result, the user may need to re-optimize the electrical signal to steer the beam direction to a specific direction.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown in the optical switch array 210 in FIG. 1 , the detector 150 can be disposed at the end of the waveguide 250. The input propagates along the path defined by the open optical switch 240 and does not pass through the closed optical switch 245. By adjusting the electrical signal to the optical switches 240, 245 so that the power to the specific detector 150 is maximized, changes in ambient temperature can be accommodated in real time. For conventional optical phased arrays, this cannot be done in a simple configuration because doing so would require monitoring the phase of all transmitters simultaneously. This feedback control feature is another advantage of the disclosed method. For example, if the environmental conditions do not change significantly over time, the disclosed method can be used without feedback control.

[0039] In addition, since the beam direction is based on digital control, the disclosed method is inherently more robust than conventional methods. In contrast, the beam direction in conventional optical phased array methods is based on analog control, which may suffer from severe beam drift issues under changes in environmental conditions or electrical signals.

[0040] The disclosed method can be performed in various configurations. Figure 3AIn the exemplary aspect shown in FIG. 1-B, one-dimensional beam direction control can be achieved with an optical switch array 300, and wavelength tuning is employed for the other dimension. In an embodiment, as discussed herein, a plurality of optical switches, e.g., an open switch 340 and a closed switch 345, a detector 150 at the end of each waveguide 350, and a grating emitter 360, can be used to generate an output 330 from an input end 320. In this case, the lens 310 can have a bending force in one dimension (e.g., a cylindrical lens).

[0041] In the second aspect, Figure 4A As shown in FIG. 4B , an optical switch array 400 can be used to achieve two-dimensional beam direction control without relying on wavelength tuning. This eliminates the need to use a laser source with a wide tunable bandwidth. Figure 4A As shown, light between different rows of waveguides can be switched by an array of optical switches. In each row, there can be multiple microresonator transmitters coupled to that waveguide.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment, heaters 410, 420 may be positioned and configured within one or more columns (or other arrangements) of emitters, such as microresonator emitters. If (again referring to FIG. 4) the heater 420 of a particular column is turned on, the microresonator emitters in that column resonate and may emit light. By controlling the rows with an array of optical switches and the columns with a particular heater, the location of the emitted light may be switched arbitrarily to any one of the emitters. The lens 430 has a bending force in both dimensions that collimates the light emitted by any microresonator emitter and forms a beam output 440. Such a configuration enables full two-dimensional beam direction control to (N+1)M angles with only (N+M) electrical signal channels, where N is the number of optical switches and M is the number of columns. Thus, the technology is scalable and applicable to a variety of settings.

[0043] exist Figure 5 In the third aspect shown, the grating emitters 510 can be arranged on a two-dimensional rectangular grid. This achieves full two-dimensional beam direction control using only the optical switch array 500 without relying on wavelength tuning. This variation, again through one or more off switches 520 and on switches 530, can control the beam direction to N+1 different angles by controlling N electrical signal channels. For the avoidance of doubt, the variations in Figures 3, 4 and 5 are described for exemplary purposes only and are not limited to the specific methods and devices described. For example, only one-dimensional beam direction control can be achieved without combining with wavelength tuning. The emitters can also be placed on more general grids, such as circular, triangular and non-uniform grids.

[0044] It should also be understood that the disclosed beam direction control device described herein can also perform beam reception. For example, this can be achieved in a configuration where the input and output ports are reversed.

[0045] Exemplary Embodiments

[0046] The following examples are exemplary only and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure or the appended claims.

[0047] Embodiment 1. An optical device comprises: an optical switch array, comprising a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively send light to one or more of a plurality of waveguides; a plurality of transmitters, wherein at least one of the plurality of transmitters is configured to be connected to one or more of the plurality of waveguides and is configured to receive light and cause at least a portion of the light to leave the waveguide; and a lens, configured to receive light that leaves one or more of the plurality of waveguides via the at least one transmitter, wherein the lens is configured to direct the received light as a light output, and wherein the position of the at least one transmitter relative to the lens facilitates beam direction control of the light output.

[0048] Embodiment 2. The optical device of Embodiment 1, wherein the optical switch array is controllable (eg, electrically controlled) to switch the state of one or more of the plurality of optical switches.

[0049] Embodiment 3. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 1-2, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured in series to define an optical path to one or more of the plurality of emitters.

[0050] Embodiment 4. The optical device of any of Embodiments 1-3, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured to define parallel optical paths, and wherein light is sent to at least one of the parallel optical paths.

[0051] Embodiment 5. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 1-4, wherein at least one of the plurality of emitters comprises a grating, for example, a grating emitter.

[0052] Embodiment 6. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 1-5, wherein at least one of the plurality of emitters comprises a microresonator emitter.

[0053] In an exemplary such emitter, the emitter can have a ring or disk configuration, and the illumination can propagate around the outer edge (e.g., circumference) of the disk or ring. The microresonator can also include a structure formed by facets on both sides of a reflective spacer layer or optical medium. Ring and disk shaped microresonators are believed to be particularly suitable.

[0054] As described elsewhere herein, the emitter may also include a grating (e.g., a periodic structure). The grating may, for example, be present on or within the emitter; the grating may be formed in the material of the emitter, but may also be a separate structure applied to or otherwise disposed on the emitter.

[0055] The grating can be present on the outer walls of the emitter, for example, the side, top, or outer wall of a microresonator ring or disk. The grating can also be configured to be phase matched, for example, the periodicity of the grating can be configured to cause light to diffract from the guided modes within the microresonator into free space. For example, for a microresonator with p th For longitudinal mode microresonators, the periodic angle of the grating can be 2π / p, 2π / (p±1), 2π / (p±2), 2π / (p±3), etc.

[0056] Embodiment 7. The optical device of embodiment 6, further comprising one or more thermal elements configured to selectively regulate the amount of heat applied to one or more of the plurality of microresonator emitters. Such thermal elements may be, for example, heaters or other forms configured to provide (or remove) heat. Such elements may be, for example, on / off heaters; such elements may also be heaters capable of applying variable amounts of heat.

[0057] Embodiment 8. An optical device according to any of embodiments 1-7, wherein at least some of the plurality of emitters are arranged to define a two-dimensional grid pattern. The emitters can be arranged in a periodic pattern, but this is not required. The arrangement of the emitters can be a square (e.g., 10 x 10) pattern, but this is not required, as the emitters can be arranged in a non-square pattern (e.g., 10 x 5). The emitters can also be arranged in a circular, oval, or other pattern depending on the needs of the user.

[0058] Embodiment 9. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 1-7, wherein the groups of the plurality of emitters are arranged to define a linear pattern to facilitate one-dimensional beam direction control of the optical output.

[0059] Embodiment 10. An optical device according to any one of embodiments 1-9, wherein the lens comprises a metasurface lens.

[0060] (As described elsewhere in this article, conventional lenses may also be used.)

[0061] A metasurface lens can be a lens having features defined thereon, for example, by lithography. Such features can include, for example, pillars, columns, mesas, etc. These features can be sub-wavelength features in order to manipulate the wavefront in a desired manner. The features can be arranged in a periodic or aperiodic manner. For example, the lattice constant on the metasurface can be less than 1 wavelength; for example, the lattice constant of the pillars on the metasurface can be about 800 nm, which is about 1 / 2 the wavelength of some illumination.

[0062] The lens can be configured so that the aberrations are properly corrected. The lens can also be configured so that the lens has a Strehl ratio greater than about 0.8. The lens can be configured so that the lens has a wavefront error less than about 1 / 10 or about 1 / 5 of the wavefront on an RMS basis. The lens can be configured so that it produces a point pattern and forms a majority of points within the Airy disk.

[0063] Embodiment 11. The optical device of any one of Embodiments 1-10, wherein the lens is configured to collimate received light into a beam of light for the optical output.

[0064] Embodiment 12 The optical device of any one of embodiments 1-11, further comprising one or more detectors. The detectors may be detectors configured, for example, to monitor optical power in one or more of the plurality of waveguides.

[0065] Embodiment 13. A method of manufacturing the optical device described in any one of embodiments 1-12.

[0066] Embodiment 14. A method of using the optical device of any one of embodiments 1-12.

[0067] Embodiment 15. The method of Embodiment 14, further comprising using wavelength tuning to facilitate at least a portion of beam direction control of the light output.

[0068] Embodiment 16. An optical device, comprising: an optical switch array, comprising a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively send light to one or more of a plurality of waveguides; a plurality of receivers, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers is configured to be connected to one or more of the plurality of waveguides and configured to receive light and couple at least a portion of the light to one or more of the plurality of waveguides; and a lens, configured to receive light and direct the light toward the at least one receiver, wherein the lens is configured to direct the received light as optical input to the at least one receiver, and wherein the position of the at least one receiver relative to the lens facilitates receiving the optical input of a directional light beam.

[0069] Embodiment 17. The optical device of Embodiment 16, wherein the optical switch array is controllable to switch the states of the plurality of optical switches.

[0070] Embodiment 18. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 16-17, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured in series to define an optical path from one or more of the plurality of receivers.

[0071] Embodiment 19. An optical device as described in any of Embodiments 16-18, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured to define parallel optical paths, and wherein light is sent to at least one of the parallel optical paths.

[0072] Embodiment 20. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 16-19, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers comprises a grating.

[0073] Embodiment 21. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 16-20, wherein at least one of the plurality of receivers comprises a microresonator.

[0074] Embodiment 22. The optical device of embodiment 21, further comprising one or more thermal elements configured to selectively adjust the amount of heat applied to one or more of the plurality of microresonators. Such elements may be, for example, on / off heaters; such elements may also be heaters capable of applying variable amounts of heat.

[0075] Embodiment 23. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 16-22, wherein at least some of the plurality of receivers are arranged to define a two-dimensional grid pattern.

[0076] Embodiment 24. An optical device as described in any of Embodiments 16-22, wherein the groups of the plurality of receivers are arranged to define a linear pattern.

[0077] Embodiment 25. An optical device according to any of Embodiments 16-24, wherein the lens comprises a metasurface lens.

[0078] Embodiment 26. A method of manufacturing the optical device described in any one of embodiments 16-25.

[0079] Embodiment 27. A method of using the optical device of any one of embodiments 16-25.

[0080] Embodiment 28. An apparatus comprising an optical device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 12. Example apparatuses include, for example, a beam steering control device, a directionally controllable receiver, a directionally controllable transmitter, a LIDAR device, etc.

[0081] Embodiment 29. An apparatus comprising an optical device according to any one of embodiments 16-25.

[0082] Those skilled in the art will also recognize that many additional modifications are possible without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, any such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following exemplary claims.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising: an optical switch array comprising a plurality of optical switches configured to selectively send light to one or more of the plurality of waveguides; a plurality of emitters, wherein at least one emitter of the plurality of emitters is disposed in communication with one or more of the plurality of waveguides and is configured to receive light and cause at least a portion of the light to exit the waveguide; and A lens is configured to receive light that exits one or more of the plurality of waveguides via the at least one emitter, wherein the lens is configured to direct the received light as a light output, and wherein the position of the at least one emitter relative to the lens facilitates beam direction control of the light output. 2 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical switch array is controllable to switch the states of the plurality of optical switches.

3. The optical device of any one of claims 1-2, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured in series to define an optical path to one or more of the plurality of emitters.

4. The optical device of any one of claims 1-3, wherein at least some of the optical switches are configured to define parallel optical paths, and wherein light is sent to at least one of the parallel optical paths.

5. The optical device of any one of claims 1-4, wherein at least one of the plurality of emitters comprises a grating.

6. The optical device of any one of claims 1-5, wherein at least one of the plurality of emitters comprises a microresonator emitter.

7. The optical device of claim 6, further comprising one or more thermal elements configured to selectively regulate heat applied to one or more of the plurality of microresonator emitters.

8. The optical device of any one of claims 1-7, wherein at least some of the plurality of emitters are arranged to define a two-dimensional grid pattern.

9. An optical device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the groups of the plurality of emitters are arranged to define a linear pattern to facilitate one-dimensional beam direction control of the optical output.

10. The optical device of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the lens comprises a metasurface lens.

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