US 12,368,510 B2
Lightweight optical antenna, and method for realizing acquisition, tracking and pointing based on same
Xiaoping Xie, Shaanxi (CN); Xinning Huang, Shaanxi (CN); Wei Wang, Shaanxi (CN); and Yiyi Zhao, Shaanxi (CN)
Assigned to XI'AN INSTITUTE OF OPTICS AND PRECISION MECHANICS, CHINESE ACADEMY, Shaanxi (CN)
Appl. No. 18/044,258
Filed by XI'AN INSTITUTE OF OPTICS AND PRECISION MECHANICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Shaanxi (CN)
PCT Filed Mar. 11, 2021, PCT No. PCT/CN2021/080092
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 7, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/052431, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 202010954419.6 (CN), filed on Sep. 11, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0027779 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H04B 10/118 (2013.01)
CPC H04B 10/118 (2013.01) 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A novel lightweight optical antenna, comprising a coarse tracking liquid crystal (1), a coarse tracking liquid crystal controller (2), a beam shrinking system (3), a fine tracking liquid crystal (4), a fine tracking liquid crystal controller (5), a beam splitter (6), a first coupling system (7), a single-mode optical fiber (8), a second coupling system (9), a detector (10) and a data analysis and instruction system (11);
wherein the coarse tracking liquid crystal (1), the beam shrinking system (3), the fine tracking liquid crystal (4) and the beam splitter (6) are arranged in sequence and are located on the same central axis; the beam splitter (6) is placed at an included angle of 135 degrees with the central axis;
the first coupling system (7) and the single-mode optical fiber (8) are sequentially located in a first emergent light path of the beam splitter (6), and the second coupling system (9) and the detector (10) are sequentially located in a second emergent light path of the beam splitter (6);
an input end of the data analysis and instruction system (11) is connected with the detector (10), and an output end of the data analysis and instruction system (11) is connected with the coarse tracking liquid crystal controller (2) and the fine tracking liquid crystal controller (5); the data analysis and instruction system (11) is configured to receive initial position information of a communication target or extract information of a spot on the detector (10), analyze the initial position information or the spot information, and provide an angle deflection information instruction to the coarse tracking liquid crystal controller (2) and the fine tracking liquid crystal controller (5);
an output end of the coarse tracking liquid crystal controller (2) is connected with the coarse tracking liquid crystal (1), and is configured to convert the angle deflection information instruction into a control voltage;
the coarse tracking liquid crystal (1) deflects under the action of the control voltage to realize a large-angle pointing of an incident beam;
the beam shrinking system (3) is configured to reduce or enlarge the diameter of the incident beam;
an output end of the fine tracking liquid crystal controller (5) is connected with the fine tracking liquid crystal (4), and is configured to convert the angle deflection information instruction into the control voltage;
the fine tracking liquid crystal (4) is packaged by stacking three layers of Bi-stable dual-frequency liquid crystal devices to form a rectangular liquid crystal device, and deflects under the action of the control voltage to realize a small-angle pointing of the incident beam;
the beam splitter (6) is configured to split the incident beam into two beams, which are respectively incident on the first coupling system (7) and the second coupling system (9);
the first coupling system (7) is configured to converge and couple the beam to the single-mode optical fiber (8); or convert the beam in the single-mode optical fiber (8) into parallel light to be incident on the beam splitter (6);
the second coupling system (9) is configured to converge and transmit the beam to a photosensitive surface of the detector (10); and
the detector (10) realizes beam imaging and outputs the spot information.