Abstract: A switched optical phased array based beam steering LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system includes an integrated photonics optical phased array (OPA) that includes an optical switching network for selectively connecting a large number of 1D scanning (in a first direction or field-of-view) antenna arrays to a light source. Each array is configured to emit light in a predefined angle of a second direction or field-of-view and can be switched individually to connect to the light source. At any given time, the phase shifters of only one such array, i.e. the one that is switched to connect the light source, are actively adjusted by the control circuits, so that the active power consumption is greatly reduced. The LiDAR system also includes a photo sensor receiver, other control and signal processing circuits, and other necessary optical and mechanical components.

Abstract: A frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) imaging light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system includes an integrated photonic circuit based coherent pixel array sensor having a large number of coherent pixels. Each pixel receives both the frequency-modulated signal light from a local light source (LO) and the returned signal light reflected from a section of the target scene through an imaging optical system. At each pixel, the LO light and the returned light are mixed locally by an optical mixer and then detected locally by an integrated photodetector. The electrical signal from each pixel is used to calculate scene distance using FMCW LiDAR principles. The LO signal is distributed into each pixel by an on-chip optical switch and routing circuit. An optical phased array may be used to split the source beam into the LO light and the target illumination light and to steer the illumination light.

Abstract: A switched optical phased array based beam steering LiDAR (light detection and ranging) system includes an integrated photonics optical phased array (OPA) that includes an optical switching network for selectively connecting a large number of 1D scanning (in a first direction or field-of-view) antenna arrays to a light source. Each array is configured to emit light in a predefined angle of a second direction or field-of-view and can be switched individually to connect to the light source. At any given time, the phase shifters of only one such array, i.e. the one that is switched to connect the light source, are actively adjusted by the control circuits, so that the active power consumption is greatly reduced. The LiDAR system also includes a photo sensor receiver, other control and signal processing circuits, and other necessary optical and mechanical components.

Abstract: An on-chip optical phased array includes an array of photonic antenna units connected in series by photonic waveguides and arranged in a two-dimensional array to produce complex still and scanning optical patterns through optical interference effect. Each antenna unit includes an output photonic antenna (e.g. grating antenna), and a waveguide phase shifter for adjusting the optical phase of the optical beam output by the antenna unit. The grating antenna and the waveguide phase shifter are formed in the same optical wave guiding layer which includes a core layer between two cladding layers. The grating antennas may be a shallow-etched structure or a deep-etched edge-modulated grating. The optical phased array, including the array of photonic antenna units and the electrodes that connect and provide electrical power to them, can be made on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or compatible fabrication processes.

Abstract: An on-chip optical phased array includes an array of photonic antenna units connected in series by photonic waveguides and arranged in a two-dimensional array to produce complex still and scanning optical patterns through optical interference effect. Each antenna unit includes an output photonic antenna (e.g. grating antenna), and a waveguide phase shifter for adjusting the optical phase of the optical beam output by the antenna unit. The grating antenna and the waveguide phase shifter are formed in the same optical wave guiding layer which includes a core layer between two cladding layers. The grating antennas may be a shallow-etched structure or a deep-etched edge-modulated grating. The optical phased array, including the array of photonic antenna units and the electrodes that connect and provide electrical power to them, can be made on a single chip of silicon using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) or compatible fabrication processes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a metamaterial nano-sensing system, and in particular to a high-sensitivity metamaterial nano-sensing system with an ultra-narrow line width spectral response. The system includes an input light path, a metamaterial nano-sensing unit and an output light path which are sequentially provided along a direction of a light path, and the metamaterial nano-sensing unit includes a Bragg grating and a metallic periodic array arranged above the Bragg grating. The nano-sensing system provided by the invention has an ultra-narrow line width spectral response, so that sensitivity of a nanosensor is effectively improved, and broad application prospect in the fields of portable biosensing, drug development and detection, environment monitoring and the like is ensured.

Abstract: The invention relates to a metamaterial nano-sensing system, and in particular to a high-sensitivity metamaterial nano-sensing system with an ultra-narrow line width spectral response. The system includes an input light path, a metamaterial nano-sensing unit and an output light path which are sequentially provided along a direction of a light path, and the metamaterial nano-sensing unit includes a Bragg grating and a metallic periodic array arranged above the Bragg grating. The nano-sensing system provided by the invention has an ultra-narrow line width spectral response, so that sensitivity of a nanosensor is effectively improved, and broad application prospect in the fields of portable biosensing, drug development and detection, environment monitoring and the like is ensured.