Improved Beam Steering Method Using OAM Waves

Orbital Angular Momentum(OAM)is an intrinsic feature of electromagnetic waves which has recently found many applications in several areas in radio and optics.In this paper,we use OAM wave characteristics to present a simple method for beam steering over both elevation and azimuth planes.The design overcomes some limitations of traditional steering methods,such as limited dynamic range of steering,the design complexity,bulky size of the steering structure,the limited bandwidth of operation,and low gain.Based on OAM wave characteristics,the proposed steering method avoids design complexities by adopting a simple method for generating the OAM-carrying waves.The waves are generated by an array of Planar Circular Dipole(PCD)elements.These elements are designed to cover a wide bandwidth range between 3 and 30 GHz.The transmitting array shows an enhanced gain value from 8.5 dBi to almost 11.5 dBi at the broadside angle.Besides the enhanced PCD-based OAM generation,the novelty of the design lies in a new method of beam steering.Beam steering is then performed by controlling the electrical feeding of the PCD elements;the beam azimuthal location is managed by turning off some of the PCD elements,while the elevation is determined by changing the gradient phase of excitation for the turned-on PCD elements.Detailed analysis of the steering method is carried out by finding the mathematical model of the system and the generated waves.The performance has been verified through numerical simulators.

Ultrasonic beam steering using Neumann boundary condition in multiplysics

The traditional one-dimensional ultrasonic beam steering has time delay and is thus a complicated problem. A numerical model of ultrasonic beam steering using Neumann boundary condition in multiplysics is presented in the present paper. This model is based on the discrete wave number method that has been proved theoretically to satisfy the continuous conditions. The propagating angle of novel model is a function of the distance instead of the time domain. The propagating wave fronts at desired angles are simulated with the single line sources for plane wave. The result indicates that any beam angle can be steered by discrete line elements resources without any time delay.

Programmable agile beam steering based on a liquid crystal prism

To meet the application need for agile precision beam steering, a novel liquid crystal prism device with a simple structure, convenient control, low cost and applicable performance is presented, and analysed theoretically and experimentally. The relationships between the optical path and the thickness of the liquid crystal cell under different voltages are investigated quantitatively by using a theoretical model. Analysis results show that the optical path profile of the liquid crystal prism has a quasi-linear slope and the standard deviation of the linear slope is less than 16 nm. The slope ratio can be changed by a voltage, which achieves the programmable beam steering and control. Practical liquid crystal prism devices are fabricated. Their deflection angles and wavefront profiles with different voltages are experimentally tested. The results are in good agreement with the simulated results. The results imply that the agile beam steering in a scope of 100μrad with a micro-rad resolution is substantiated in the device. The two-dimensional beam steering is also achieved by cascading two liquid crystal prism devices.

Beam steering characteristics in high-power quantum-cascade lasers emitting at∼4.6µm

A beam steering effect of high-power quantum cascade(QC) lasers emitting at 4.6 μm was investigated. The continuous wave(CW) output power of an uncoated, 6-mm-long, 7.5-μm-wide buried-heterostructure QC laser at 25℃ was as high as 854.2 m W. The maximum beam steering angle was offset by ±14.2° from the facet normal(0°) in pulsed mode. The phenomenon was judged explicitly by combining the diffraction limit theory and Fourier transform of the spectra. It was also verified by finite element method software simulation and the calculation of two-dimensional(2 D)effective-index model. The observed steering is consistent with a theory for coherence between the two lowest order lateral modes. Therefore, we have established an intrinsic linkage between the spectral instabilities and the beam steering by using the Fourier transform of the spectra, and further presented an extremely valid method to judge the beam steering. The content of this method includes both three equidistant peak positions in the Fourier transform of the spectra and the beam quality located between once the diffraction limit(DL) and twice the DL.

Broadband beam steering for misaligned multi-mode OAM communication systems

Orbital angular momentum(OAM)at radio frequency(RF)has attracted more and more attention as a novel approach of multiplexing a set of orthogonal OAM modes on the same frequency channel to achieve high spectral efficiency(SE).However,the precondition for maintaining the orthogonality among different OAM modes is perfect alignment of the transmit and receive uniform circular arrays(UCAs),which is difficult to be satisfied in practical wireless communication scenarios.Therefore,to achieve available multi-mode OAM broadband wireless communication,we first investigate the effect of oblique angles on the transmission performance of the multi-mode OAM broadband system in the non-parallel misalignment case.Then,we compare the UCA-based RF analog and baseband digital transceiver structures and corresponding beam steering schemes.Mathematical analysis and numerical simulations validate that the SE of the misaligned multi-mode OAM broadband system is quite low,while analog and digital beam steering(DBS)both can significantly improve the SE of the system.However,DBS can obtain higher SE than analog beam steering especially when the bandwidth and the number of array elements are large,which validates that the baseband digital transceiver with DBS is more suitable for multi-mode OAM broadband wireless communication systems in practice.

Ultra-thin two-dimensional transmissive anisotropic metasurfaces for polarization filter and beam steering application

We propose an anisotropic planar transmitting metasurface, which has the ability to manipulate orthogonally-polarized electromagnetic waves in the reflection and refraction modes respectively. The metasurface is composed of four layered rectangular patches spaced by three layered dielectric isolators each with a thickness of 0.15λ0 at 15 GHz. By tailoring the sizes of the patches, the metasurface functions as a band-stop filter for the y-polarzied wave and a band-pass filter for the x-polarized wave operating from 14 GHz to 16 GHz. Moreover the phases of the transmitting x-polarized wave can be modulated at about 15 GHz, which contributes to beam steering according to the general refraction law. Experimental results are in good accordance with the simulated ones, in which the reflection efficiency is almost 100% while the transmission efficiency of the x-polarized wave reaches 80% at 15 GHz. Besides, the transmitted x-polarized wave is effectively manipulated from 14 GHz to 16 GHz.

Beam Steering Analysis in Optically Phased Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser Array

Beam steering in implant defined coherently coupled vertical cavity surface emitting laser （VCSEL） arrays is simulated using the FDTD solution software. Angular deflection dependent on relative phase differences among elements, inter-element spacing, element size and emitted wavelength is analyzed detailedly and systematically. We design and fabricate 1×2 implant defined VCSEL arrays for optimum beam steering performance. Electroni- cally controlled beam steering with a maximum deflection angle of 1.6° is successfully achieved in the 1 × 2 VCSEL arrays. The percentage of the power in the central lobe is above 39% when steering. The results show that the steering is controllable. Compared with other beam steering methods, the fabrication process is simple and of low cost.

An Evolutionary Approach to Improve the Beam Steering Performance over Conventional Approach in CHAA

In this work,evolutionary algorithms are applied for the first time to achieve better radiation characteristics over the conventional beamforming algorithm in the concentric hexagonal antenna array(CHAA),which improves the performance of wireless communication.Multiple signal classification(MUSIC)algorithm is employed for direction of arrival(DoA)estimation.The conventional adaptive beam steering algorithm,least mean-square(LMS)algorithm,is used to steer the beam.Further,the proposed approach is employed by novel particle swarm optimization(NPSO)to reduce sidelobe level(SLL)even further.A six-ring CHAA with 126 elements for DoA estimation and beam steering is simulated.The simulation results of the MUSIC,LMS,NPSO,and particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithms are provided for various DoAs.

Low-Cost Beam Steering that Covers the Entire Azimuthal Plane Powered by Amplitude-Only Synthesis of a Quintuple-Dipole Source

A new amplitude-only synthesis approach in quintuple electric dipoles(EDs)is proposed to enable the regulation of power flow in the azimuthal plane.The regulation methodology is investigated analytically with double ED,triple ED and quintuple ED models.First,when the phase difference between the EDs switches,the double ED model,acting as a reconfigurable source,can work in two modes with different power flow directions,i.e.,unidirectional mode and bidirectional mode.Then,from the triple ED model,it is verified that the power flow in the two working modes can be regulated to the desired direction in the azimuthal plane with high precision by controlling the feeding amplitudes of the dipoles.Moreover,a quintuple ED model is developed to enhance the symmetry and consistency of the power flow regulation in the plane.Finally,a prototype of the azimuthal beam steering system,including digitally controlled radio-frequency(RF)frontend tuning circuits,optimized practical feeding elements,and an end-fire radiator,is designed,fabricated and measured.Both unidirectional and bidirectional modes are observed,and satisfactory single-beam and dual-beam steering performance in the azimuthal plane is achieved.Unlike most phased arrays that realize beam steering by configuring phases,the beam steering of the proposed reconfigurable source in each mode can be arbitrarily synthesized only by the amplitudes of the quintuple feeding elements,which provides a new route for realizing low-cost and multifunctional beam-steering systems.

A 1-bit electronically reconfigurable beam steerable metasurface reflectarray with multiple polarization manipulations

A 1-bit electronically controlled metasurface reflectarray is presented to achieve beam steering with multiple polarization manipulations. A metsurface unit cell loaded by two PIN diodes is designed. By switching the two PIN diodes between ON and OFF states, the isotropic and anisotropic reflections can be flexibly achieved. For either the isotropic reflection or the anisotropic reflection, the two operation states achieve the reflection coefficients with approximately equal magnitude and 180°out of phase, thus giving rise to the isotropic/anisotropic 1-bit metasurface unit cells. With the 1-bit unit cells, a 12-by-12 metasurface reflectarray is optimally designed and fabricated. Under either y-or x-polarized incident wave illumination, the reflectarray can achieve the co-polarized and cross-polarized beam scanning, respectively, with the peak gains of 20.08 d Bi and 17.26 d Bi within the scan range of about ±50°. With the right-handed circular polarization(RHCP) excitation, the left-handed circular polarization(LHCP) radiation with the peak gain of 16.98 d Bic can be achieved within the scan range of ±50°. Good agreement between the experimental results and the simulation results are observed for 2D beam steering and polarization manipulation capabilities.

Bifunctional gap-plasmon metasurfaces for visible light: polarization-controlled unidirectional surface plasmon excitation and beam steering at normal incidence

Integration of multiple diversified functionalities into a single,planar and ultra-compact device has become an emerging research area with fascinating possibilities for realization of very dense integration and miniaturization in photonics that requires addressing formidable challenges,particularly for operation in the visible range.Here we design,fabricate and experimentally demonstrate bifunctional gap-plasmon metasurfaces for visible light,allowing for simultaneous polarization-controlled unidirectional surface plasmon polariton(SPP)excitation and beam steering at normal incidence.The designed bifunctional metasurfaces,consisting of anisotropic gap-plasmon resonator arrays,produce two different linear phase gradients along the same direction for respective linear polarizations of incident light,resulting in distinctly different functionalities realized by the same metasurface.The proof-of-concept fabricated metasurfaces exhibit efficient(425%on average)unidirectional(extinction ratio 420 dB)SPP excitation within the wavelength range of 600–650 nm when illuminated with normally incident light polarized in the direction of the phase gradient.At the same time,broadband(580–700 nm)beam steering(30.6°–37.9°)is realized when normally incident light is polarized perpendicularly to the phase gradient direction.The bifunctional metasurfaces developed in this study can enable advanced research and applications related to other distinct functionalities for photonics integration.

Polarization-independent two-dimensional beam steering using liquid crystal optical phased arrays

A polarization-independent nonmechanical laser beam steering scheme is proposed to realize continuous two-dimensional（2 D） scanning with high efficiency, where the core components are two polarization-dependent devices, which are called liquid crystal optical phased arrays（LC-OPAs）. These two one-dimensional（1D） devices are orthogonally cascaded to work on the state of azimuthal and elevation steering, respectively. Properties of polarization independence as well as 2D beam steering are mathematically and experimentally verified with a good agreement. Based on the experimental setup, linearly polarized beams with different polarization angles are steered with high accuracy. The measured angular deviations are less than 5 μrad, which is on the same order of the accuracy of the measurement system. This polarization-independent 2 D laser beam steering scheme has potential application for nonmechanical laser communication, lidar, and other LC-based systems.

Study of active beam steering system with a simple method

We develope a simple method to stabilize the beam during propagation. Combination of the self-developed control module and the large diameter mirrors reconstruct the beam stabilization system, and some important procedures are presented, such as calibration arid average filter. The results show that the horizontal pointing and vertical pointing are stabilized to within 8.43 and 7.59 μrad, and the beam horizontal position and vertical position are stabilized to within 2.16 and 2.11 μm respectively. The regulating time is within 84 ms. Thus the method presented is effective for the current stabilization system applied in lithography tools.

Beam steering correction of the quarter wave resonator in the HISCL

The Intensity Heavy Ion Superconducting Linear Accelerator as the injector of the High Intensity Heavy- Ion Accelerator Facility, which is a new project proposed in China has been designed. One of the design options in the low energy part is based on Quarter Wave Resonators （QWRs）. However, because of the unsymmetrical geometry of the cavity, there are dipole fields near the beam hole, which may steer the beam vertically, thus leading to emittance growth and beam loss. The effect of the dipole mode field is analyzed, and a method to overcome the beam steering effect by placing QWRs with opposite orientation is proposed in this paper. The simulation results show that the beam steering effect is reduced effectively by this method, and the deviation of the beam centroid is decreased from 2.87 mm to 0.1 mm. The emittance growth is also smaller.

Design and performance analysis of beam steering birefringent mercurous chloride acousto-optic device

The mercurous chloridc (Hg2Cl2) single crystal possesses unique acousto-optic (AO)properties, which make Hg2Cl2 Bragg cells desirable for various optical signal processing applications. Based on the design theory of beam stcering birefringent device, in this paper it is presented to design parameters of Hg2Cl2 devices. The performances of this new-type devices are also analyzed. The results show that, the sizes of Hg2Cl2 devices are much smaller than those of TeO2 devices, along with other good performances. Due to these advantages, the Hg2Cl2 Bragg cells can be expected to be keydevices in two-dimensional AO signal processing systems.

Compact Multibeam Array with Miniaturized Butler Matrix for 5G Applications

This paper presents the design and implementation of a miniaturized beam steering network that produces broadside beams when it is fed with a compact antenna array.Butler Matrix(BM)was used as the beam steering network.It was completely built from a miniaturized 3 dB hybrid-couplers in planar microstrip technology.It was configured by feeding the BM with a Planar Inverted-E Antenna(PIEA)array separated at 0.3λas against the 0.5λseparation.This makes the BM produce a major radiation pattern at the broadside.Apart from the miniaturization,no modification was made from the BM side.However,employing effective mutual coupling reduction techniques helped to design the compact PIEA array.The validity of this BM based multibeam PIEA array was demonstrated by comparing the simulation results of the reflection coefficients,transmissions coefficients and the radiation pattern with measurements.The measurement results showed good agreement with simulations.

Study of a Modified Fast Adaptive Algorithm for Digital Beamforming

This paper provides a modified fast adaptive algorithm for digital beamforming. It is analgorithm with strict constraint minimum power sampling matrix gradient (CSMG). It has merits ofboth traditional sampling mains gradient (SMG) and strictly constrained minimum power adaptivealgorithm. 16-element uniform circular array is selected. Some results of computer simulation aregiven. The results indicate that the beam direction will change with constraint angle and can beadaptable to adjust zero very well. The algorithm is fast convergent.

A Compact MEMS-Based Optical Scanning System with Large Field of View for Lidars

In this work, a design of a compact optical MEMS-based lidar scanning system with a large field of view (FOV) and small distortion is presented. The scanning system applies an off-axis structure and the length of the system can be reduced to about 10 cm in an optimized way. Simulation results show that a large FOV is achieved under a uniform scanning scheme. In addition, the spot size less than 20 cm at distance of 100 m is also realized. The optical scanning system can be used for the vehicle-mounted Lidar.

Photonic integrated optical phased arrays and their applications[Invited]

In recent years,optical phased arrays(OPAs)have attracted great interest for their potential applications in light detection and ranging(Li DAR),free-space optical communications(FSOs),holography,and so on.Photonic integrated circuits(PICs)provide solutions for further reducing the size,weight,power,and cost of OPAs.In this paper,we review the recent development of photonic integrated OPAs.We summarize the typical architecture of the integrated OPAs and their performance.We analyze the key components of OPAs and evaluate the figure of merit for OPAs.Various applications in Li DAR,FSO,imaging,biomedical sensing,and specialized beam generation are introduced.

Integrated solid-state lidar employing orthogonal polarizations and counterpropagation[Invited]

Light detection and ranging(lidar)has attracted significant interest as a sensing technology for its ability to achieve highresolution imaging and wide-angle perception.However,conventional lidar systems,built with separate components,are often bulky,expensive,complex,and prone to instability.In contrast,solid-state lidar,based on silicon photonics technology,offers a solution with its compact size,less expense,low energy consumption,and improved reliability.However,achieving precise beam steering remains a critical challenge for integrated lidar systems.Various methods have been demonstrated for beam steering,which is one of the simplest and most efficient approaches that utilize wavelength tuning with a grating coupler antenna.In this review,we introduce the fundamental principle of optical phased array for beam steering and provide an overview of the recent advancements in integrated solid-state lidars utilizing orthogonal polarizations and counterpropagation to enhance beam-steering range and angular resolution.