Low-power optical beam steering by microelectromechanical waveguide gratings

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel, highly power-efficient optical beam steering device using MEMS actuation of a suspended silicon waveguide grating, achieving significant steering with minimal power consumption, advancing integrated photonics applications.

Contribution

First experimental demonstration of MEMS-actuated beam steering in integrated photonics with ultra-low power consumption, surpassing previous thermo-optic methods.

Findings

Achieved up to 5.6° beam steering with 20 V actuation.

Power consumption below the microWatt level, over 5 orders of magnitude lower than prior methods.

Pioneered integration of MEMS with photonics for efficient beam steering.

Abstract

Optical beam steering is key for optical communications, laser mapping (LIDAR), and medical imaging. For these applications, integrated photonics is an enabling technology that can provide miniaturized, lighter, lower cost, and more power efficient systems. However, common integrated photonic devices are too power demanding. Here, we experimentally demonstrate, for the first time, beam steering by microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuation of a suspended silicon photonic waveguide grating. Our device shows up to 5.6{\deg} beam steering with 20 V actuation and a power consumption below the $\mu$W level, i.e. more than 5 orders of magnitude lower power consumption than previous thermo-optic tuning methods. The novel combination of MEMS with integrated photonics presented in this work lays ground for the next generation of power-efficient optical beam steering systems.