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Non-mechanical Beam Steering and Refocusing Through Liquid Crystal Polarization Gratings

15 Jan 2025

Non-mechanically reconfigurable optics with vastly superior size, weight, and power requirements compared to their mechanical counterparts

LCPG-based Optics for Non-mechanical Beam Scanners

Liquid crystal polarization gratings are also known as geometric phase gratings, Pancharatnam-Berry phase gratings, and diffractive waveplates. These transmissive gratings efficiently (> 99.5%) diffract circularly polarized light to either the first positive or negative order, based on the handedness of the incident light. By incorporating fast electro-optic half-wave polarization retarders to control the handedness of polarization, we can develop custom LCPG devices and systems to non-mechanically deflect optical beams. This patented approach offers a range of leading capabilities:

· Wide-angle beam steering > 100°

· Large apertures > 20 cm

· Sub-millisecond switching times

· Dramatically reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) compared to mechanical solutions

· Random-access and inertia-less beam steering

Industries Using LCPG Beam Steering

Along with our customers, we have demonstrated this technology in a range of cutting-edge applications, from lidar to optical communications:

· Aerospace: Inertialess optical beam steering with dramatic reductions of size, weight, and power

· Automotive: Wide-angle steering of flash and coherent lidar for ADAS and autonomous vehicles

· Manufacturing + Automation: Increase range and resolution of conventional Time-of-Flight cameras without sacrificing field of view

· Optical Communication: Non-mechanical coarse pointing, acquisition, and tracking, as well as non-mechanical divergence control

· Wind Power Generation: Compact non-mechanical pointing of coherent Doppler lidar wind sensing

LCPGs for Non-mechanical Focus and Magnification Control

When patterned as diffractive lenses, LCPGs can provide non-mechanical control over beam divergence and variable focusing. These dynamic elements enable a range of applications, such as machine vision, microscopy, and AR/VR. For example, in 3D laser scanning microscopy, LCPG variable lenses have demonstrated:

Remote Focusing with Switchable PG Lens Stacks

Fast Switching Speed · 40 µs rise time · < 3 ms fall time (can be reserved for flyback when raster scanning)

Focal Plane Change · >500 μm in combination with a low-magnification objective · Amount of focal plane change is independent of speed

Non-mechanical Steering · Unaffected by gravity or acceleration · No ringing, settling, or coupling with vibrations

Aperture · Large clear apertures of 100 mm or more · Switching speed is largely independent of aperture size

Discover more ways our advanced technologies can shape, correct, and steer light to address your challenging applications by contacting Meadowlark Optics at sales@meadowlark.com, meadowlark.com/contact, or 303-833-4333.

CONTACT DETAILS
Meadowlark Optics
5964 Iris Pkwy
Frederick
CO
80504
United States
Tel: 303-833-4333
Fax: 303-833-4335
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