The growing use of photonic integrated circuits in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors has made the speckle and phase distribution of the reflected light relevant for coupling into the guided modes of these systems. We adopt the use of a simplified diffuse surface model to show the average coupling efficiency of reflected speckle into guided modes can be predicted from the optical intensity at the target. For the first time, we provide experimental results to show that this relationship is valid for predicting free-space loss as a function of range. We intend to aid optics design for integrated photonic LiDAR systems, providing a simple and accurate model to predict the free-space loss from a representative target at all distances.
Advanced light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) sensors are the primary sensing modality for autonomous vehicles and are seeing increasing adoption in consumer and commercial vehicles for robust advanced driver assist systems. LIDAR returns from the environment are typically predicted using elastic LIDAR models, which can help emulate the performance of LIDAR sensors in environments with multiple returns or heavy obscurants. We derive the first elastic LIDAR model for a random modulated continuous wave LIDAR system using a homodyne receiver and show good agreement with experimental measurements.
Self driving cars offer the potential to be a safer, more economical and more environmentally friendly transport option. High performance LiDARs are one of the primary enabling sensing technologies vital to autonomous vehicles to meet the demanding requirements for full autonomy. We discuss the role of automotive LiDAR in autonomous vehicles, and the performance requirements and optical technologies that high performing LiDARs need to achieve to fulfill that role.
A novel structure for an electro-optic (e-o) polymer based Mach-Zehnder modulator is proposed and its anticipated
device performance is detailed. The modulator is designed using commercially available materials and makes usc of wellcharacterized
electrical and optical structures. The modulator is designed to be competitive with the pertrmance of LiNbO
based modulators. The results of the analysis predict a bandwidth of 20 GHz, V of 8-10 V, optical insertion loss of S d13,
and a contrast ratio of approximately 13 dB.
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