InP optical phased array for high-speed wavefront shaping through scattering media.

Abstract

By spatially modulating the wavefront, light can be controlled to focus through scattering media, enabling applications in biological sensing, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging, and optical wireless communication. However, conventional liquid crystal-based spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs) and digital micromirror devices (DMDs) operate at refresh rates of at most tens of kilohertz, limiting their practicality for real-time manipulation of a large number of controlled channels. Here, we demonstrate wavefront shaping (WFS) through scattering media using an InP optical phased array (OPA). The wavefront phase is modulated via on-chip electro-optic modulation, achieving a modulation bandwidth of 12 MHz, the fastest reported value in literature, two orders of magnitude higher than the state of the art. Furthermore, with the usage of integrated amplifiers, the output power is up to 15.4 dBm with a net on-chip gain of 10.3 dB, which can supply high power for NLOS imaging and communication. These advantages highlight the potential of InP OPAs for high-speed wavefront shaping applications.