Agile beam control of optical phased array

Claim 1

A control for optical phased array having a plurality of substantially identical waveguides each of which includes a multiplicity, i.e., first, second, third, . . . etc. of pairs of electrodes located in corresponding first, second, third, . . . etc. electrode-pair positions along the length thereof, comprising in combination, wiring means interconnecting the pairs of electrodes in the first electrode-pair position of said waveguides in such a manner that opposite polarity voltage may be applied to adjacent first pairs of electrodes each of said first pairs of electrodes thereby constituting a block, further wiring means interconnecting said pairs of electrodes in each remaining electrode-pair position (i.e., second, third, . . . etc., positions) of said waveguides, in blocks of pairs of electrodes on adjacent waveguides at the respective electrode-pair position, wherein each block comprises twice the number of pairs of electrodes as are in each block of pairs of electrodes in the electrode-pair position to which this block's position is the successor position (e.g., fifth electrode-pair position is the successor position to the fourth electrode-pair position), with the pairs of electrodes in each block interconnected so that all pairs of electrodes in the respective block will have applied to them the same voltage polarity, said further wiring means also interconnecting said blocks so that the pairs of electrodes in adjacent blocks will have the opposite voltage polarity, and a source of electrical energy to energize the pairs of electrodes of the respective blocks of electrodes.