Large Aperture Agile Scanning Mirror

Liquid crystal based optical phased arrays are highly promising among modern approaches to realize large aperture agile scanning mirrors for passive and active optical remote sensors. The variety of such arrays (dynamically written pixels, prisms, lenses) suggests their high potential to overcome limitations of mechanical and electro-mechanical scanning imaging systems. First, by their nature, liquid crystal based devices are electronically switchable and eliminate any need for mechanical movements, provide such benefits as a fast speed, lightweight, low power consumption, high accuracy, reliability, and insensitivity to vibrations. To their advantage, the mentioned characteristics provided by liquid crystal materials are as a given. Second, specifically to one of the approaches described in this proposal - a sequence of three micro-lens arrays, with one in the middle dynamically shifted with respect to the others, presents a highly promising solution to create large apertures and large sweep angles non-mechanical scanning mirror for an airborne optical sensor. The device promises to provide any pattern of the scans and the correction for aircraft motions, air turbulence, and other disturbing factors. Also, making this technology suitable for fabrication on display production lines will significantly shorten the transition from the research and prototyping to the mass production.