29 April 2015, Golden, CO. Vescent Photonics introduced their non-mechanical beam steering technology as a COTS product at the 2015 SPIE Defense, Sensing, and Security Conference in Baltimore, MD. The SEEOR (Scannable Electro-Evanescent Optical Refractor) can continuously steer a near IR laser beam over a 30ºx5º Field of View with a full frame rate of less than 50 ms. The SEEOR operates at the crossroads of waveguide and liquid crystal (LC) technologies. By forming prismatic structures in an LC-based cladding to the waveguide, the beam is refracted. The huge electro-optic coefficient of the LC (up to 105 times that of LiNbO3) allows voltage tuning of the index of the prisms and hence the refraction angle of the laser exiting the device.
“The large, two-dimensional Field of View, fast scanning, and low SWaP of the SEEOR is augmented by its non-resonant scan strategy. Not only does it cover the Field of View, but it can ‘zoom in’ on areas of interest for more detailed interrogation,” says Dr. Scott Davis, VP of Technology and lead Scientist on the product development. “It is a true analog device which does not suffer from 2-π reset gaps that some scanning technologies experience.”
The SEEOR device is now commercially available including its analog controller. Says Davis, “We knew the SEEOR would play into the LADAR, free-space communications, and scanned illumination applications spaces. But we were surprised at how many other applications visitors to our booth at DS&S wanted to use it for. We are inspired by the success of the product launch.”
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Vescent Photonics was founded in 2002 with the mission to commercialize liquid crystal and waveguide technologies. It also offers a line of precision lasers and control electronics for the AMO physics community.
