Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits
Abstract Chip-scale LiDARs hold promise for high volume, low cost, and compact footprint. A key candidate is based on the adoption of phased array beam-forming and beam-steering in the optical domain, hence the optical phased array (OPA). Piggybacking on the rapid development of photonic integrated...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | npj Nanophotonics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44310-025-00059-4 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Chip-scale LiDARs hold promise for high volume, low cost, and compact footprint. A key candidate is based on the adoption of phased array beam-forming and beam-steering in the optical domain, hence the optical phased array (OPA). Piggybacking on the rapid development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), integrated OPAs today can emit a diffraction-limited laser beam with sub-mrad divergence and steer the beam at a point-to-point rate of ~GHz. Nevertheless, key issues remained to be addressed for practical LiDAR application. Here, we review the features and development of PIC-based OPAs from a LiDAR-oriented perspective, providing necessary backgrounds and analysis of challenges, recent breakthroughs, and long-term prospects. |
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| ISSN: | 2948-216X |