Abstract: Provided is an FMCW light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. The FMCW LiDAR system includes: a laser source, emitting a frequency-swept laser beam; a light engine, comprising an optical transmitter/receiver, where the light engine is configured to receive the frequency-swept laser beam, and transmit, as a detection beam, at least a part of the frequency-swept laser beam from the optical transmitter/receiver, and the optical transmitter/receiver receives a reflected beam formed after the detection beam is incident on an obstacle; a scanning component, on one side of the optical transmitter/receiver and configured to deflect the detection beam to scan the detection beam; and a birefringent component, configured to compensate for a transmission and reception offset angle caused by motion of the scanning component, to enable the detection beam and the reflected beam to be transmitted and received by a same port of the optical transmitter/receiver.

Abstract: A FMCW frequency-sweeping method and a FMCW LiDAR system.

Abstract: A multi-channel LiDAR system is provided, which includes a laser light source configured to generate a laser beam; a 1×N optical transmission apparatus including one input terminal and N output terminals, and configured to receive the emitted light beam and transmit the same to the i-th output terminal; N light-emitting terminals connected with the N output terminals, where the i-th light-emitting terminal is configured to emit the emitted light beam, and the emitted light beam is reflected to generate a reflected light beam; N light-emitting terminals connected to the N output terminals, where an i-th light-receiving terminal is configured to receive the reflected light beam, and the reflected light beam is received by the 1×N optical transmission apparatus and transmitted from the i-th output terminal to the input terminal; and a detection apparatus, connected to the input terminal, and configured to detect the reflected light beam.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing. Input-output devices may be mounted in the housing. The input-output devices may include a display with an array of pixels configured to display images for a user. The electronic device may have an optical component formed under a transparent region in the housing. The transparent region may be associated with an opening in an opaque masking layer in an inactive area of the display or other portion of the electronic device. A diffuser may be formed between the optical component and the transparent region. The diffuser may have a polymer layer with embedded thin-film interference filter flakes configured to scatter light and to exhibit desired reflection and transmission spectral.

Abstract: Aspects for an on-chip or integrated Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) device are described herein. The aspects may include a semiconductor optical waveguide integrated in the LiDAR device. A receiving end of the semiconductor optical waveguide may receive a light beam from a light source. One or more beam splitters may be configured to split the light beam into two or more light beams. At least one semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) may be integrated to amplify the power of the light beam or the split two or more light beams.

Abstract: Aspects for an on-chip or integrated continuous-wave Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) are described herein. The aspects may include one or more laser light sources configured to generate one or more light beams and multiple light engines configured to respectively receive the light beams. The light frequency is modulated in a predefined pattern. A light transmitter of each light engine may be configured to receive a first portion of one of the light beams and transmit the first portion of the light beam at a predetermined angle. A light receiver of each light engine may be configured to receive the first portion of the light beam reflected from an object and transmit the reflected first portion of the light beam to a balanced detector. The balanced detector may be configured to detect a beat between the reflected first portion of the light beam with a second portion of the light beam.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing. Input-output devices may be mounted in the housing. The input-output devices may include a display with an array of pixels configured to display images for a user. The electronic device may have an optical component formed under a transparent region in the housing. The transparent region may be associated with an opening in an opaque masking layer in an inactive area of the display or other portion of the electronic device. A diffuser may be formed between the optical component and the transparent region. The diffuser may have a polymer layer with embedded thin-film interference filter flakes configured to scatter light and to exhibit desired reflection and transmission spectral.

Abstract: Aspects for an on-chip or integrated continuous-wave Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) are described herein. The aspects may include one or more laser light sources configured to generate one or more light beams and multiple light engines configured to respectively receive the light beams. The light frequency is modulated in a predefined pattern. A light transmitter of each light engine may be configured to receive a first portion of one of the light beams and transmit the first portion of the light beam at a predetermined angle. A light receiver of each light engine may be configured to receive the first portion of the light beam reflected from an object and transmit the reflected first portion of the light beam to a balanced detector. The balanced detector may be configured to detect a beat between the reflected first portion of the light beam with a second portion of the light beam.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have an active area in which images are displayed by an array of pixels and an inactive area that is free of pixels. A color ambient light sensor may make color and luminance measurements on ambient light received through an ambient light sensor window in the inactive area of the display or elsewhere in the electronic device. The color ambient light sensor may have color ambient light sensor elements of different colors. The ambient light sensor elements may extend in a row along an edge of the display or may have other configurations. Analog-to-digital converter circuitry and switching circuitry may gather color ambient light sensor measurements and measurements indicative of whether or not the color ambient light sensor has been obscured by an external object from the light sensor elements.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing with a display. A transparent portion of the housing may serve as a display cover layer and may overlap an array of pixels in the display. The array of pixels may form an active area of the display for displaying images for a user. An ambient light sensor window may be formed in an inactive area of the display that does not overlap pixels. An ambient light sensor may be mounted in an interior region of the housing. A metal-coated light guide may have a first end aligned with the ambient light sensor window to receive ambient light from an exterior region surrounding the device and may have a second end at which the ambient light is provided to the ambient light sensor.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a color ambient light sensor. The color ambient light sensor may be used to measure an ambient light spectrum over a wavelength range of interest. Control circuitry in the electronic device can take actions based on the measured ambient light spectrum such as adjusting the brightness and color cast of content on a display. A display may have a display cover layer. The color ambient light sensor can be mounted under the display cover layer and may receive ambient light through the display cover layer. The color ambient light sensor may have a tunable wavelength filter such as an electrically adjustable Fabry-Perot resonator. A light collimator may be interposed between the display cover layer and the Fabry-Perot resonator to collimate ambient light that is passed to the Fabry-Perot resonator. A light detector measures the light passing through the Fabry-Perot resonator.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a color ambient light sensor. The color ambient light sensor may be used to measure an ambient light spectrum over a wavelength range of interest. Control circuitry in the electronic device can take actions based on the measured ambient light spectrum such as adjusting the brightness and color cast of content on a display. A display may have a display cover layer. The color ambient light sensor can be mounted under the display cover layer and may receive ambient light through the display cover layer. The color ambient light sensor may have a tunable wavelength filter such as an electrically adjustable Fabry-Perot resonator. A light collimator may be interposed between the display cover layer and the Fabry-Perot resonator to collimate ambient light that is passed to the Fabry-Perot resonator. A light detector measures the light passing through the Fabry-Perot resonator.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may have an array of pixels that form an active area and may have an inactive area that runs along an edge of the active area. An opaque layer may be formed on an inner surface of a display cover layer in the inactive area of the display or may be formed on another transparent layer in the electronic device. An ambient light sensor window may be formed from the opening and may be aligned with color ambient light sensor. The ambient light sensor may have an integrated circuit with photodetectors. Ambient light passing through the ambient light sensor window may be diffused by a light diffuser having one or more light-diffusing layers. Diffused ambient light may be collimated using a light collimator having one or more light-collimating layers such as layers with inwardly facing protrusions.

Abstract: An optical sensing platform with an array of sensors, a laser or broadband light source and an optical detector that utilizes surface plasmon resonance based transduction and optical detection is provided. The sensor structure of the platform has a low index support layer, a high contrast grating, a low index spacer and a thin metal film with a target recognition element. The surface plasmon resonance based sensor uses surface plasmon waves to detect changes on the surface of the sensor when a target interacts with the target recognition element. The binding of the target with a recognition element receptor will induce changes in the refractive index of the metal layer, which changes the resonance wavelength of the plasmon wave on the sensor surface, which is used to measure or observe the reaction.

Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. The display may have an array of pixels that form an active area and may have an inactive area that runs along an edge of the active area. An opaque layer may be formed on an inner surface of a display cover layer in the inactive area of the display or may be formed on another transparent layer in the electronic device. An ambient light sensor window may be formed from the opening and may be aligned with color ambient light sensor. The ambient light sensor may have an integrated circuit with photodetectors. Ambient light passing through the ambient light sensor window may be diffused by a light diffuser having one or more light-diffusing layers. Diffused ambient light may be collimated using a light collimator having one or more light-collimating layers such as layers with inwardly facing protrusions.

Abstract: An optical sensing platform with an array of sensors, a laser or broadband light source and an optical detector that utilizes surface plasmon resonance based transduction and optical detection is provided. The sensor structure of the platform has a low index support layer, a high contrast grating, a low index spacer and a thin metal film with a target recognition element. The surface plasmon resonance based sensor uses surface plasmon waves to detect changes on the surface of the sensor when a target interacts with the target recognition element. The binding of the target with a recognition element receptor will induce changes in the refractive index of the metal layer, which changes the resonance wavelength of the plasmon wave on the sensor surface, which is used to measure or observe the reaction.

Abstract: An electronic device may have a housing in which a display is mounted. The display may have an active area in which images are displayed by an array of pixels and an inactive area that is free of pixels. A color ambient light sensor may make color and luminance measurements on ambient light received through an ambient light sensor window in the inactive area of the display or elsewhere in the electronic device. The color ambient light sensor may have color ambient light sensor elements of different colors. The ambient light sensor elements may extend in a row along an edge of the display or may have other configurations. Analog-to-digital converter circuitry and switching circuitry may gather color ambient light sensor measurements and measurements indicative of whether or not the color ambient light sensor has been obscured by an external object from the light sensor elements.