Liquid Crystal Waveguide Beamsteerer for Vibration-Resistant Lidar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current beamsteering technologies are susceptible to mechanical vibrations and shock, are large and heavy, and expensive, limiting their effectiveness in applications like machine vision and lidar systems.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) beamsteerer system that steers light without moving parts, using electrically controllable liquid crystal material and electrodes to redirect laser beams in two dimensions, allowing for directional scanning of light origination locations and efficient incoupling of light into a photodetector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanically steered mirror systems are used for beamsteering, then light direction control is achieved, but the system becomes susceptible to mechanical vibrations and shock
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror steering system with a liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) beamsteerer that uses electrically controllable liquid crystal material to redirect light beams. This substitution eliminates moving parts, making the system immune to mechanical vibrations and shock while maintaining precise beam direction control through voltage-controlled liquid crystal orientation changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from mechanical position to electrical voltage. By applying varying voltages to the liquid crystal material, the beam direction is controlled through changes in liquid crystal molecular orientation, which alters the light propagation path within the waveguide without any mechanical movement.
2Weight of moving object
If mechanically steered mirror systems are used for beamsteering, then light direction control is achieved, but the system becomes large and heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror steering system with a liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) beamsteerer that uses electrically controllable liquid crystal material to redirect light beams. This substitution eliminates moving parts, making the system immune to mechanical vibrations and shock while maintaining precise beam direction control through voltage-controlled liquid crystal orientation changes.
3Ease of manufacture
If mechanically steered mirror systems are used for beamsteering, then light direction control is achieved, but the system becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical mirror steering system with a liquid crystal waveguide (LCW) beamsteerer that uses electrically controllable liquid crystal material to redirect light beams. This substitution eliminates moving parts, making the system immune to mechanical vibrations and shock while maintaining precise beam direction control through voltage-controlled liquid crystal orientation changes.
4Reliability
If LCW beamsteerer is used to steer light without moving parts, then resistance to mechanical disturbances is improved, but the ability to steer light entering the LCW from various locations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic beamsteering capability in the LCW by applying varying voltages to different regions of the liquid crystal material. This allows the system to dynamically change the light propagation path and steer incoming light from various directions to a fixed photodetector location, enabling scanning of light-origination locations without mechanical movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter from mechanical position to electrical voltage. By applying varying voltages to the liquid crystal material, the beam direction is controlled through changes in liquid crystal molecular orientation, which alters the light propagation path within the waveguide without any mechanical movement.
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 LCW beamsteerer provides a robust, compact, and cost-effective solution for beamsteering, resistant to mechanical disturbances, enabling precise light detection and ranging applications with improved reliability and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid crystal (LC) material can be used for steering light within or leaving the LCW, such as can be received as an input light beam from a laser. A liquid crystal (LC) material can be used for steering light within or leaving the LCW, such as by applying a voltage to vary a property of the LC material in response to the voltage for steering the light.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical system for receiving light scanned from different light origination locations in space can include a Liquid Crystal (LC) waveguide (LCW), including first and second LCW light ports. A beamsteering LC electrode can be included in or coupled to the LCW and can be configured to vary a receiving direction of light received at the second LCW light port in response to a varying electrical input signal applied to the LC electrode to scan receiving of light at the second LCW light port from different light origination locations in space. A photodetector can be optically coupled to the first LCW light port, such as to detect waveguided light from different light origination locations in space received in response to the varying electrical input signal applied to the first LC electrode. Ranger, bright-spot locking, laser detection, direct detect and coherent lidar, wavelength detection, and other techniques and use cases are possible.