Abstract
Conventional optical beam steering mechanisms are mostly mechanical (e.g., torque motors and PZTs), limiting the usable bandwidths to around 1 kHz. Acoustooptical modulators are sometimes used for faster steering (≈MHz range) but with resultant modulation on the operating frequency of the optical beam. In free space (unguided) optical communication systems there sometimes is the need for fast beam steering, preferably without incidental frequency modulation. We will describe the two means of fast steering of the output beam of an Injection-locked laser diode array. The first method is obtained by changing the frequency of the master laser and the second by changing the injection current of the slave array. Both techniques are basically only limited to the Injection current modulation speed of the devices and can operate at speeds as high as several gigahertz if necessary.
© 1986 Optical Society of America
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