Integrated lithium niobate optical phased array for two-dimensional beam steering
Gongcheng Yue, Yang Li
Abstract
Optical phased arrays (OPAs) with high speed, low power consumption, and low insertion loss are appealing for various applications, including light detection and ranging, free-space communication, image projection, and imaging. These OPAs can be achieved by fully harnessing the advantages of integrated lithium niobate (LN) photonics, which include high electro-optical modulation speed, low driving voltage, and low optical loss. Here we present an integrated LN OPA that operates in the near-infrared regime. Our experimental results demonstrate 24 × 8° two-dimensional beam steering, a far-field beam spot with a full width at half maximum of 2 × 0.6°, and a sidelobe suppression level of 10 dB. Furthermore, the phase modulator of our OPA exhibits a half-wave voltage of 6 V. The low power consumption exhibited by our OPA makes it highly attractive for a wide range of applications. Beyond conventional applications, our OPA's high speed opens up the possibility of novel applications such as high-density point cloud generation and tomographic holography.