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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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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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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| author | Weihan Xu Qiqi Yuan Yunhong Yang Liangjun Lu Jianping Chen Linjie Zhou |
| author_facet | Weihan Xu Qiqi Yuan Yunhong Yang Liangjun Lu Jianping Chen Linjie Zhou |
| author_sort | Weihan Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-efe710a2888c4d9da9e077be003530ca |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2948-216X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Nanophotonics |
| spelling | doaj-art-efe710a2888c4d9da9e077be003530ca2025-08-20T03:53:12ZengNature Portfolionpj Nanophotonics2948-216X2025-05-012113210.1038/s44310-025-00059-4Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuitsWeihan Xu0Qiqi Yuan1Yunhong Yang2Liangjun Lu3Jianping Chen4Linjie Zhou5Department of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityDepartment of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44310-025-00059-4 |
| spellingShingle | Weihan Xu Qiqi Yuan Yunhong Yang Liangjun Lu Jianping Chen Linjie Zhou Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits npj Nanophotonics |
| title | Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| title_full | Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| title_fullStr | Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| title_short | Progress and prospects for LiDAR-oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| title_sort | progress and prospects for lidar oriented optical phased arrays based on photonic integrated circuits |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44310-025-00059-4 |
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