High resolution parallel pulse chaotic LiDAR based on AlGaAs micro-ring

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Nonlinear Optics
• Sensing Technology

Background:

• Chaotic lidar systems offer inherent anti-disturbance capabilities due to signal randomness.
• Traditional silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) lidar systems have limitations in ranging resolution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a sub-centimeter resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) system.
• To leverage the high nonlinearity of Aluminum Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs) micro-rings for enhanced performance.

Main Methods:

• Modeled an AlGaAs lidar system using Lugiato-Lefever (LLE) equations.
• Generated chaotic pulse signals using a 20% duty-cycle square wave with a 50 μs period.
• Utilized parallel processing of multi-wavelength optical comb for 3D scanning.

Main Results:

• Achieved a theoretical ranging resolution of approximately 0.9 cm, a tenfold improvement over Si₃N₄ lidar (9.7 cm).
• Experimental ranging resolution reached ±0.29 cm with a transmit power as low as 10 dBm.
• Demonstrated a chaotic signal bandwidth of 8.61 GHz, significantly wider than Si₃N₄ chaos (∼0.85 GHz).

Conclusions:

• The developed AlGaAs micro-ring LiDAR offers superior ranging resolution and anti-noise capabilities.
• The system's high resolution and low power consumption are advantageous for applications in high-interference environments.
• This technology paves the way for advanced 3D imaging and sensing in demanding conditions.