Dual-Axis Beam-Steering OPA with purely Passive Phase Shifters

TL;DR

This paper introduces a multi-layer silicon optical phased array that achieves dual-axis beam steering solely through wavelength tuning, eliminating grating couplers and enhancing efficiency and flexibility in on-chip photonic systems.

Contribution

The work presents a novel 3D multi-layer OPA design that enables purely wavelength-tuned dual-axis beam steering without grating couplers, improving performance and efficiency.

Findings

Eliminates grating couplers, reducing substrate leakage.

Achieves positive or negative phase slope profiles.

Enhances beam steering range and efficiency.

Abstract

In this work, we present a multi-layer optical phased array (OPA) designed for dual-axis beam steering on a silicon (Si) platform, utilizing only wavelength tuning. Our design eliminates the need for grating couplers, commonly required for dual-axis beam steering, thereby reducing energy losses due to substrate leakage. It also features the unique capability of achieving a positive or negative phase slope profile. This three-dimensional architecture enhances output efficiency by emitting light from the device edge, providing greater flexibility and improved performance in beam steering. This approach opens up new possibilities for on-chip photonic systems, enabling faster, more accurate, and broader beam steering range.