Si Photonics FMCW LiDAR Chip with Solid-State Beam Steering by Interleaved Coaxial Optical Phased Array

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Optical Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Traditional LiDAR systems are bulky, expensive, and complex due to discrete components.
• Photonic integration offers a path towards miniaturized, cost-effective LiDAR solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a solid-state Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) LiDAR system on a silicon photonic chip.
• To achieve high integration, compact dimensions, and low cost for LiDAR applications.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a 32-channel transmitter-receiver interleaved coaxial all-solid-state FMCW LiDAR chip.
• Utilizing optical phased arrays (OPAs) for solid-state scanning without mechanical parts.
• Leveraging a CMOS-compatible silicon photonics platform for fabrication.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a solid-state FMCW LiDAR chip with integrated optical phased array antennas.
• Achieved a beam width of 0.4° × 0.8° and a grating lobe suppression ratio of 6 dB.
• Successfully performed preliminary FMCW ranging of multiple targets scanned by the OPA.

Conclusions:

• The developed silicon photonic chip enables low-cost, on-chip solid-state FMCW LiDAR.
• The integrated OPA technology facilitates mechanical-free scanning for compact LiDAR systems.
• This technology provides a viable pathway for the commercialization of advanced LiDAR solutions.