A Review of Solid-State LiDAR Principles and Metasurface-Based LiDAR Sensors

Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) has been a promising solution for autonomous vehicles. For beam-steering mechanisms, solid-state LiDAR with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and optical phased arrays (OPAs) have demonstrated robust and compact alternatives to mechanical LiDAR with 360° rotating mirrors. Two-dimensional optical metasurfaces can be used for phase shift, deflecting the angle in LiDAR. If a LiDAR system only needs a fixed beam direction, then static metasurfaces can be used. If a LiDAR system requires beam scanning, dynamic (tunable) metasurfaces are necessary for efficient and adaptable operation. In this review article, we will discuss the principles of metasurface beam-steering mechanisms and discuss how metasurfaces can shift the incoming light's phase and deflect the angle. LiDAR based on metasurfaces provides promising solutions due to its flat optics feature, robust nature, and non-moving parts. Additionally, we will discuss and compare the field of view (FOV) of LiDAR based on metasurfaces. Tunable metasurfaces in LiDAR systems are crucial for real-time beam scanning, and they have advantages over traditional mechanical scanning mechanisms like faster scanning rates, increased reliability, more compact form factors, and larger fields of view.