Photonic technologies for autonomous cars: feature introduction

Photonic technologies that support the low cost manufacturing needed for automotive sensors have experienced explosive developments in recent years. To date most commercially available lidar system have been direct detection time-of-flight (ToF) sensors operating at 905 nm using mechanical mirrors for beam steering. However, these sensors suffer from important drawbacks. One issue is eye-safety, which limits maximum laser powers and hence operating range. Direct detection systems must also content with potential interference issues when lots of cars operate lidar systems simultaneously. In addition, mechanical scanners are frequently bulky and may be difficult to integrate within the form factors allowed by modern vehicles.