Flared Laser Phased-Array Emitter for High-Power Beam Quality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing optoelectronic emitters face challenges in generating high-power optical signals of good quality due to gain saturation and beam quality issues in small optical cavities, while wide cavities result in mediocre beam quality.
Innovation Solution
A phased-array optoelectronic emitter with a flared laser source optically coupled to a photonic chip, featuring a coupler that optimizes optical coupling and power division, ensuring efficient transmission of high-power optical signals to N arms with phase shifters and elementary transmitters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a high-power laser source is used in a waveguide of small dimensions, then optical power is increased, but gain saturation occurs and beam quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The laser source is divided into two distinct sections: a straight single-mode section for maintaining beam quality and a flared section for power amplification. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specialized function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between power and beam quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser cavity transitions from a two-dimensional waveguide confinement to a three-dimensional flared structure. This dimensional change allows the optical mode to expand in the flared section, increasing power capacity while the single-mode section maintains spatial coherence and beam quality through controlled confinement.
2Power
If the waveguide dimensions are increased to avoid gain saturation, then optical power capacity is improved, but the waveguide can no longer maintain single-mode operation
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide structure is segmented into a single-mode section with controlled dimensions for precise mode confinement and a flared section with expanded dimensions for power capacity. The segmentation allows the system to achieve both single-mode operation and high power capacity that would be mutually exclusive in a uniform waveguide.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the laser cavity have different local qualities: the single-mode section has tight confinement for mode control, while the flared section has relaxed confinement for power amplification. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between single-mode operation and power capacity.
3Device complexity
If a laser source is integrated on the same photonic chip, then device complexity is reduced, but high-power emission with good beam quality cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The flared laser source and photonic chip are merged into a single integrated device through direct coupling. The laser chip is positioned in close proximity to the photonic chip, creating a compact integrated system that maintains high-power emission capability while achieving low device complexity through monolithic integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the emission of high-power optical signals with good quality, optimizing collection and transmission efficiency while minimizing phase errors and maintaining beam quality.
Implementation Method 1
a flared laser source configured to emit an optical signal, a wavefront of which is circular
Implementation Method 2
the optical signals then combining through interference to form a light beam
Implementation Method 3
N waveguides forming arms of the optoelectronic emitter... N rectilinear waveguides that are coupled to the N arms
Data Source
AI summary
A phased-array optoelectronic emitter includes a laser chip containing a flared laser source and a photonic chip containing phase shifters and elementary transmitters placed in N arms. The photonic chip includes a coupler that ensures optical coupling between the flared laser source and the arms, the coupler having a collection input placed facing the emission surface of the flared laser source and a transmission output comprising N rectilinear waveguides that are coupled to the N arms of the optoelectronic emitter and that are oriented so that their longitudinal axes are secant at a position located in a flared section of the laser source on an optical axis of the laser source.