Kotura, Inc.

Silc Technologies, Inc.

Mellanox Technologies Silicon Photonics Inc.

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd.

Kotusa, Inc.

Oracle International Corporation

Oracle America, Inc.

Lightcross, Inc.

Dazeng Feng

Mehdi Asghari

Bradley Jonathan Luff

Wei Qian

Joan Fong

Majid Boloorian

Cheng-Chih Kung

Jacob Levy

Shirong Liao

Dawei Zheng

Po Dong

Roshanak Shafiiha

Ning-Ning Feng

Daniel C Lee

Xiaoming Yin

Zhi Li

Ashok V Krishnamoorthy

Wei Liu

Xuezhe Zheng

Elad Mentovich

John E Cunningham

Anthony Stephen Kewitsch

George A Rakuljic

Wenhua Lin

Frederik Marcel Van Der Vliet

Dimitrios Kalavrouziotis

Monish Sharma

Trenton Gary Coroy

Pegah Seddighian

Mohammad Esmaeili Rad

Jay Jie Lai

Hiren D Thacker

Kannan Raj

Zhou Zhou

Saeed Fathololoumi

Amir Ali Tavallaee

Zhian Shao

Lih-Jou Chung

Yong Liu

Shashank Jatar

Hongbing Lei

Hong Liang

Liwei Wang

Shih-Hsiang Hsu

Jonathan Luff

Joan Yiqiong Fong

Chatchai Bushyakanist

C C Kung

A LIDAR system includes a light source that outputs an outgoing LIDAR signal that includes multiple different channels. The LIDAR system also generate multiple composite light signals that each carries a signal couple and are each associated with a different one of the channels. A signal couple includes a reference signal and an associated comparative signal. The comparative signals each include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal that has been reflected by one or more objects located outside of the LIDAR system. The reference signals also include light from the outgoing LIDAR signal but also exclude light that has been reflected by any object located outside of the LIDAR system. There is a frequency differential between a frequency of the reference signal and a frequency of the associated comparative signal. The frequency differential includes a contribution from a frequency offset that is induced by electronics. The electronics induce the frequency offset such that the frequency offset is different for each signal couple.

Use of frequency offsets in generation of LIDAR data

An optical system has a LIDAR chip that includes a switch configured to direct an outgoing LIDAR signal to one of multiple different alternate waveguides. The system also includes a redirection component configured to receive the outgoing LIDAR signal from any one of the alternate waveguides. The redirection component is also configured to redirect the received outgoing LIDAR signal such that a direction that the outgoing LIDAR signal travels away from the redirection component changes in response to changes in the alternate waveguide to which the optical switch directs the outgoing LIDAR signal.

Optical switching for tuning direction of LIDAR output signals

An optical interconnect device and the method of fabricating it are described. The device includes an in-plane laser cavity transmitting a light beam along a first direction, a Franz Keldysh (FK) optical modulator transmitting the light beam along the first direction, a mode-transfer module including a tapered structure disposed after the FK optical modulator along the first direction to enlarge the spot size of the light beam to match an external optical fiber and a universal coupler controlling the light direction. The tapered structure can be made linear or non-linear along the first direction. The universal coupler passes the laser light to an in-plane external optical fiber if the fiber is placed along the first direction, or it is a vertical coupler in the case that the external optical fiber is placed perpendicularly to the substrate surface. The coupler is coated with highly reflective material.

Optical coupler

A LIDAR system includes a light source configured to generate an outgoing light signal that includes multiple channels that are each of a different wavelength. The system includes optical components that generate composite light signals. Each composite light signal includes light from a LIDAR input signal combined with light from a reference signal. The LIDAR input signals each includes light that was reflected by an object located apart from the system and that was included also in one of the channels. The reference signals do not include light that was reflected by the object but include light from one of the channels. Each of the composite signals is generated such that the reference signal and the LIDAR input included in the composite signal includes light from the same channel.

LIDAR system generating multiple lidar output signals

A LIDAR system concurrently outputs multiple LIDAR output signals that concurrently illuminate the same sample region in a field of view for a data period. The sample region is one of multiple sample regions included in the field of view. The LIDAR system also includes electronics that use the multiple LIDAR output signals to generate LIDAR data for the sample region. The LIDAR data includes a distance and/or a radial velocity between the LIDAR system and an object that reflects the LIDAR output signals.

Concurrent LIDAR measurements of a region in a field of view

A LIDAR system includes a waveguide array configured to output a LIDAR output signal such that the LIDAR output signal is reflected by an object located off the LIDAR chip. The system also includes electronics configured to tune a wavelength of the LIDAR output signal such that the direction that the LIDAR output signal travels away from the LIDAR chip changes in response to the tuning of the wavelength by the electronics.

Controlling direction of LIDAR output signals

A modulator and method of fabrication thereof are provided. In various embodiments, the modulator is a Franz-Keldysh (FK) effect electro-absorption modulator. In an example embodiment, the modulator comprises a waveguide column formed from waveguide material deposited onto a substrate; a first contact layer doped with a P-type dopant and deposited on a first side of the waveguide column; a second contact layer doped with an N-type dopant and deposited on a second side of the waveguide column; and first and second contacts. The first contact is in electrical communication with the first contact layer and the second contact is in electrical communication with the second contact layer.

Low voltage modulator

A LIDAR system includes a LIDAR chip and local electronics that receive signals from the LIDAR chip. The local electronics are configured to operate one or more components on the LIDAR chip such that the LIDAR chip transmits an optical data signal from the LIDAR chip such that optical data signal includes data generated from the signals received from the LIDAR chip.

Optical sensor system

A Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LIDAR system has a LIDAR chip configured to output a LIDAR output signal with a wavelength between 1290 nm and 1310 nm. The LIDAR chip is also configured to receive a LIDAR input signal from off of the LIDAR chip. The LIDAR input signal including light from the LIDAR output signal after reflection of the LIDAR output signal by an object located off the LIDAR chip. The LIDAR chip is configured to generate a composite signal that includes light from a comparative light signal and light from a reference signal. The comparative signal includes light from the LIDAR output signal but the reference signal does not include light from the LIDAR output signal.

Wavelength selection in LIDAR systems

The optical manifold has multiple cores that each generates an outgoing LIDAR signal that carries one or more channels. Scanning heads are located apart from the manifold. Each scanning head is associated with one of the cores and is configured such that each scanning head receives an outgoing LIDAR signal from the associated core. The scanning heads are each configured to transmit one or more LIDAR output signals that each carries light from a different one of the channels and such that the different LIDAR output signals each travels away from the scanning head in a different direction. Each of the cores is associated with different core electronics. The core electronics are configured to tune a property of one of the outgoing LIDAR signals such that the tuning of the property causes a change to the direction that the one or more LIDAR output signals travel away from the scanning head associated with the core electronics.

Optical manifold for lidar applications

A LIDAR system includes a LIDAR chip configured that outputs a LIDAR output signal. The LIDAR system also includes a LIDAR adapter that receives the LIDAR output signal from the LIDAR chip and also outputs the LIDAR output signal from the LIDAR system and toward a sample region in a field of view. The LIDAR adapter also receives a LIDAR return signal that includes light from the LIDAR output signal after the LIDAR output signal is reflected by an object located in the sample region. The LIDAR output signal and the LIDAR return signal travel the same optical pathway between the LIDAR adapter and the object. The LIDAR adapter is also configured to output a LIDAR input signal that is received by the LIDAR chip and includes or consists of light from the LIDAR return signal. The LIDAR input signal and the LIDAR output signal travel different optical pathways between the LIDAR adapter and the LIDAR chip.

LIDAR adapter for use with LIDAR chip

A LIDAR system includes a LIDAR chip that generates a LIDAR output signal. The LIDAR chip includes a utility waveguide configured to carry one or more light signals selected from an outgoing LIDAR signal and an incoming LIDAR signal. The system also includes an amplifier that has an amplifier waveguide with a first facet and a second facet. The amplifier being positioned such that the first facet is optically aligned with a facet of the utility waveguide but the second facet is not optically aligned with any waveguide.

Amplification of LIDAR output signals

A LIDAR system includes a LIDAR chip configured to generate a LIDAR output signal that exits from a waveguide on the LIDAR chip. The system also includes optics that receive the LIDAR output signal from the waveguide. Electronics are configured to tune an image distance at which the LIDAR output signal is focused after exiting from the optics.

Image distance in LIDAR systems

Multiple LIDAR output signals are generated and are concurrently directed to the same sample region in a field of view. The LIDAR output signals have one or more optical diversities selected from a group consisting of wavelength diversity, polarization diversity, and diversity of an angle of incidence of the LIDAR output signal relative to the sample region.

LIDAR system with reduced speckle sensitivity

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El Monte, CA, United States of America

Dazeng Feng