Luminar Technologies. has been granted a patent for a metasurface featuring an array of Bragg mirrors, each with a defect cavity. The design includes individual heat sources that selectively modulate heat to achieve different phase shifts in the mirrors. GlobalData’s report on Luminar Technologies gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Luminar Technologies, Lidar-based object detection was a key innovation area identified from patents. Luminar Technologies's grant share as of June 2024 was 43%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Metasurface with heat-modulated bragg mirrors for phase shifting
The patent US12032270B2 describes a novel metasurface technology that incorporates a grid of Bragg mirrors, each featuring a defect cavity and an associated heat source. The heat sources are strategically positioned to selectively modulate the heat applied to their respective Bragg mirrors, enabling the impartation of different phase shifts through thermal manipulation. The Bragg mirrors can be constructed from alternating layers of materials such as silicon (Si) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) or diamond-like carbon (DLC), with the defect cavity potentially comprising these materials as well. The design includes air gaps between the mirrors and the substrate, enhancing the structural integrity and performance of the metasurface.
Additionally, the patent outlines a method for beam steering utilizing an array of pillars, each containing a pair of Bragg mirrors surrounding a defect cavity. By thermally altering the refractive index of these cavities, the system can induce beam steering through constructive and destructive interference of reflected light. Each pillar is equipped with an independent heat source, allowing for precise control over the temperature and phase shift of light entering the pillar. The method enables a beam steering range of -30 to 30 degrees, providing significant versatility for applications in optical systems.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
