Tunable Liquid Crystal Lens for Photonics Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Photonics packaging is challenging due to small misalignments and mismatches between components, leading to unacceptable operation or inoperability, especially during assembly and as components age, causing reduced power output and signal loss.
Innovation Solution
A photonics package incorporating a tunable liquid crystal lens that can switch between a base state and a light steering state in response to applied voltage, steering light output to compensate for misalignments and thermal drift by adjusting focal length, propagation angle, and spot size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional photonics packaging is used with fixed optical components, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to misalignments and mismatches between components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by implementing a tunable liquid crystal lens that can dynamically adjust its focal length and optical properties in response to applied voltage. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the optical system to compensate for misalignments and mismatches between components, thereby improving manufacturing precision without requiring extremely tight mechanical tolerances during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by utilizing the voltage-tunable property of the liquid crystal lens. By changing the electrical parameter (applied voltage), the optical parameters (focal length, refraction index) of the lens are adjusted to compensate for component variances and thermal drift, maintaining optimal optical alignment and signal transmission.
2Reliability
If traditional fixed optics are used, then device complexity is minimized, but reliability deteriorates due to thermal drift and component aging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using the tunable liquid crystal lens to continuously or periodically adjust optical parameters in response to changing conditions such as thermal drift and component aging. The system monitors optical performance and adjusts the lens accordingly, ensuring stable signal transmission over time and improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic nature of the liquid crystal lens allows it to adapt to thermal drift and component aging by adjusting its focal length and optical properties in real-time, thereby maintaining reliable optical coupling between components despite environmental changes and component degradation.
3Loss of energy
If misalignments are not compensated, then device complexity remains low, but power loss increases due to reduced light delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces optical power loss by changing the optical parameters of the liquid crystal lens through voltage control. By adjusting the focal length and refraction index of the lens, the system optimizes light delivery efficiency and compensates for misalignments, thereby minimizing energy loss without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
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 tunable liquid crystal lens mitigates optical power loss by up to 8 dB, ensuring efficient light delivery to waveguides and increasing manufacturing yield by dynamically adjusting to component variances and thermal changes.
Implementation Method 1
a tunable liquid crystal lens operable to switch between a base state and a light steering state in response to an applied voltage
Implementation Method 2
the tunable liquid crystal lens steers the light output toward the waveguide or other optical components
Data Source
AI summary
A photonics package that incorporates a liquid crystal lens situated between a light source and a waveguide or output element of the package. The liquid crystal lens may focus or collimate light passing through it. This may be useful, for example, to focus light from a light source on or at an entry of a waveguide. Certain embodiments may include or incorporate routing or optical elements between the light source and the liquid crystal lens, and/or on a side of the lens opposite a side on which the light source is located.