Upgrades:

• Liquid Crystal Polarization Gratings (NEW to MLO!)
• Spatial Light Modulators (More models!)
• Advanced research and customization

Read the press release here.

Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) Technology:

Fast, flexible shaping of optical phase and amplitude using high-performance liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM) technology.

We offer phase-modulating SLMs with industry-leading frame rates and phase accuracy.

Using custom liquid crystals, high-voltage backplanes, novel pixel addressing schemes, and low-latency PCIe drivers, we have the fastest LCoS phase-modulating SLMs in the industry. In addition to our standard pixel arrays, we can now develop custom LCoS SLM devices and systems with a range of leading capabilities:

• Phase-only, amplitude-only, or combined phase and amplitude modulation in a single SLM
• Unique modulators, such as polarization-independent SLMs
• Fast switching speeds: > 600 Hz for full analog phase modulating SLMs
• Mirrored backplanes providing 100% effective fill factor for reduced diffractive losses
• Sub-millisecond addressing to suppress phase ripple for higher efficiency
• Low-latency 8-bit and 16-bit PCIe drivers for fast and accurate control
• Large format backplanes up to 30 mm x 30 mm with millions of pixels

Liquid Crystal Polarization Grating (LCPG) Technology

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

LCPGs for Non-Mechanical Beam Steering and Switchable Optics

Liquid crystal polarization gratings (LCPGs) are diffractive elements that provide near-100% diffraction for circularly polarized light. When layered with thin polarization-controlling liquid crystal elements, LCPGs provide a means of non-mechanically reconfiguring light into different states, such as for beam steering or focusing.

BNS pioneered the use of LCPGs in non-mechanical beam steering and now Meadowlark Optics benefits from the patent on this approach (US 8,982,313 B2) as well as other related patents.

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 with 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) requirements
• Random-access and inertia-less beam steering
• Dynamic focusing also available

The Industries We Serve

With expertise on staff that ranges from medical devices to aerospace instrumentation, we combine deep knowledge of the technology with an understanding of your application to provide the best solution.

Tackling Challenging New Problems in Novel Areas

Automotive
Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving increasingly rely on optical sensors, such as lidar. Using LCPGs, we offer optical beam steering solutions that are non-mechanical, robust, and proven to improve range and resolution in a variety of sensor architectures.

Aerospace
In aerospace applications, reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) of instrumentation packages is paramount. By employing LCPGs for non-mechanical beam steering, we are able to reduce SWaP of steered optical systems while improving robustness to mechanical shock and vibration.

Neuroscience
Using phase-modulating SLMs, our technology enables precise holographic photostimulation of 10’s – 100’s of neurons deep within the brains of awake and behaving animals at unmatched speeds.

Manufacturing + Automation
Modern manufacturing and distribution operations rely increasingly on robotic components that need to visualize their surroundings. Non-mechanical beam steering with LCPGs directly compliments inexpensive time-of-flight cameras to enable high-definition 3D vision capable of resolving fine details over a wide field of regard.

Telecommunication
We provide a variety of novel non-mechanical solutions for free-space optical communications. These include pointing, acquisition, and tracking; dynamic focusing; and fast variable optical attenuators.

Wind Power Generation
Modern wind turbines benefit from real-time information about upwind 3D wind vectors. This data can be extracted through coherent Doppler lidar measurements along multiple lines of sight (LOS). Due to their high optical quality, LCPGs are an excellent means of generating multiple LOS in a coherent lidar system without the addition of motorized wedges or additional telescopes.

For specification, please contact Sales at 303.833.4333 or [email protected]. Working with us personally ensures that you receive the exact component or system you need every time.