Compact, low power beam steering platforms for optical scanning and projection displays

This technology is a low-power beam steering, scanning, and projection platform capable of receiving beams in both the near-IR and visible wavelength range on a compact chip.

Unmet Need: Compact, low power integrated photonic platform for beam steering and optical routing

Current chip-scale photonics systems for beam steering, optical routing, and light emission often rely on bulky external light sources or require high power consumption, limiting their integration into compact devices. Additionally, conventional silicon-based photonic platforms can exhibit limited spectral tunability and reduced beam steering performance due to sensitivity to environmental factors such as temperature. There is a need for compact, low power integrated photonic platforms that enable efficient optical routing, beam steering, and light emission while maintaining robust performance across varying operating conditions.

The Technology: Low power beam steering/scanning/projection platform for receiving beams in both the near-IR and visible wavelength range on a compact chip

This technology is a low-power beam photonic platform for beam steering, optical scanning, and projection that operates without moving parts. Using programmable optical switch arrays, integrated waveguides and enhance optical components, the platform enables precise optical routing, light emission and beam steering while maintaining low power consumption and robust performance under varying environmental conditions. The platform is compatible with multiple photonic materials, including silicon nitride, lithium niobate, aluminum oxide, enabling adaptation to diverse application needs.

Applications:

• Chip-scale optoelectronics devices
• LiDAR system for portable devices
• Optical information processing
• Quantum photonic computing
• Augmented and virtual reality displays and projection systems
• Deep-tissue biological sensing and diagnostics
• Optogenetics
• Biological sensing
• Laser microscopy and spectroscopy
• Fiber optics coupling and interfacing

Advantages:

• Compact chip-scale architecture
• Low power consumption
• Straightforward feedback control and calibration
• Compatible with multiple photonic materials
• Tunable operation across visible and near-infrared wavelengths
• Configurable for different wavelength, operating speeds, modes
• Compatible with multiple LiDAR modalities (e.g., FMCW, ToF, and AMCW)

Lead Inventor:

Michal Lipson, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Issued) Patent Issued) Patent Pending)

Related Publications:

• Rodrigues JR, Dave UD, Mohanty A, et al. All-dielectric scale invariant waveguide. Nat Commun. 2023 Oct 21; 14: 6675.

• Corato-Zanarella M, Gil-Molina A, Ji X, et al. Widely tunable and narrow-linewidth chip-scale lasers from near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths. Nat Photon. 2022 Dec 23; 17: 157-164.

• Chang YC, Shin MC, Phare CT, Miller SA, Shim E, Lipson M. 2D beam steerer based on metalens on silicon photonics. Opt Express. 2021 Jan 5; 29(13): 854-864.

• Tadayon MA, Chaitanya S, Martyniuk KM, McGowan JC, Roberts SP, Denny CA, Lipson M. 3D microphotonic probe for high-resolution deep tissue imaging. Opt Express. 2019 Jul 23; 27(1) :22352-22362.

• Jimenez Gordillo OA, Chaitanya S, Chang YC, Dave UD, Mohanty A, Lipson M. Plug-and-play fiber to waveguide connector. Opt Express. 2019 Jul 9; 27(15) :20305-20310.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU20104, CU21325, CU22034

• Licensing Contact: [GM] (mailto:techtransfer@columbia.edu)