Aeva, Inc.

Oguzhan Avci

Behsan Behzadi

Mina A Rezk

Keith Gagne

Neal N Oza

Omer P Kocaoglu

Pierre Hicks

Gautam Prabhakar

Kevin Pollock

Adrian Cort

Ashwin K Samarao

A LiDAR system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam toward a target, a partially reflective surface to generate a local oscillator (LO) signal from the optical beam, and an optical lens disposed in front of a photodetector (PD), wherein the LO signal is incident at a decenter of the optical lens to shift the LO signal at the photodetector with respect to a return signal received from the target.

Techniques for FMCW LiDAR system descan compensation

A method of operating a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided. The method includes transmitting a beam of co-propagating, cross-polarized light to a target. The method includes receiving return light reflected from the target by at least one detector. The method further includes transforming a polarization state of the beam at a transformation rate faster than a data collection rate from the at least one detector.

Techniques for performing speckle reduction using polarized light

Free-space optics for use in a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus include a polarization beam-splitter (PBS) to direct an optical beam in a first direction toward a target environment and to propagate a portion of the optical beam in a second direction for receipt by a photodetector (PD), a polarization wave plate (PWP) to convert the optical beam from a first polarization to a second polarization, and to convert the target return signal from a third polarization to a fourth polarization, and a lens system coupled between the PBS and the PWP to magnify the optical beam. The propagated portion of the optical beam comprises a local oscillator (LO) signal to mix with a target return signal to generate target information.

Techniques for processing a target return signal using free-space optics

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus including free space optics to combine a target signal and a local oscillator signal to generate a combined signal. The LIDAR system also includes a set of multi-mode (MM) waveguides and a demultiplexer including a dispersive element. The demultiplexer configured to disperse, via the dispersive element, each respective wavelength of the combined signal at a corresponding angle, and reflect each respective wavelength of the combined signal to a corresponding MM waveguide of the set of MM waveguides.

Techniques for providing combined signal to multi-mode waveguide photodetector

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus is provided that includes a dispersive element and an optical circuit. The optical circuit is to emit a first optical beam having a first frequency and a second optical beam having a second frequency towards the dispersive element to deflect the first optical beam and the second optical beam based on a frequency.

Techniques for spectral scanning in a LIDAR system

A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system according to the present disclosure comprises an optical circulator and one or more photodetectors (PDs). The optical circulator is to transmit the target return signal to the one or more PDs, where the one or more PDs are to mix the target return signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal to generate a signal to extract information of the target.

LiDAR system with optical circulator

A LiDAR system includes an optical subsystem with an optical axis. The optical subsystem includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, a first optical lens to transmit the optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate a LO signal, an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal, where the LO signal is disposed to be decentered from the optical axis on a second optical lens in front of a photodetector (PD) to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on the PD.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus is provided that includes an optical source to emit an optical beam towards a target and a mode field expander operatively coupled to the optical source to expand a mode area of the optical beam from a first mode of a single mode optical fiber to a second mode of a larger mode area optical fiber.

Techniques for mode area expansion of optical beam in a LIDAR system

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit a corresponding plurality of optical beams with synchronized chirp rates and synchronized chirp durations. The plurality of optical beams are each tuned to produce regions of constructive and destructive interference into a combined optical beam. A first optical component forms a phase-locked loop to correct nonlinearities detected in the plurality of optical beams. A second optical component transmits a combined optical beam toward a target environment and receives a target return signal. A third optical component downconverts the target return signal to a plurality of fixed frequency downconverted target return signals, each including a target range component and a target velocity component.

Techniques for increasing effective power in multi-beam LIDAR systems

A method of operating a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system is provided that includes generating a beam of polarized light; and transforming a polarization state of the beam of polarized light at a rate faster than a rate of data collection at a plurality of detectors configured to detect light reflected from a target for the purpose of speckle-reduction.

Performing speckle reduction using polarization

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes optical sources to emit a continuous-wave (CW) optical beam and a frequency-modulated CW (FMCW) optical beam, a first and second optical coupler to generate a CW local oscillator (LO), and an FMCW LO signal. The system further includes a first optical component to combine the CW optical beam and the FMCW optical beam, a second optical component to transmit the combined optical beam toward a target, a third optical component to split a target return signal into a CW return signal and a FMCW return signal based on polarization or frequency, a first optical detector to detect a first beat frequency from a combination of the CW LO signal and the CW return signal, and a second optical detector to detect a second beat frequency from a combination of the FMCW LO and the FMCW return signal.

Techniques for range and velocity measurements in a lidar system

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, where a local oscillator (LO) signal is generated from a partial reflection of the optical beam from a partially-reflecting surface proximate to the first focal plane, and where a transmitted portion of the optical beam is directed toward a scanned target environment. LIDAR system to focus the LO signal and a target return signal at a second focal plane comprising a conjugate focal plane to the first focal plane. The system may also include a photodetector with a photosensitive surface proximate to the conjugate focal plane to mix the LO signal with the target return signal to generate target information.

Use of conjugate focal plane to generate target information in a LIDAR system

A method is provided that transmits a beam of co-propagating, cross-polarized light to a target. The method receives return light reflected from the target, which includes a first polarization and a second polarization. The method splits the return light into a first output corresponding to the first polarization and a second output corresponding to the second polarization using a first beam splitter. The method directs the first output to a first detector and directs the second output to a second detector. The method generates, by the first detector, a first electrical signal corresponding to the first polarization, and generates, by the second detector, a second electrical signal corresponding to the second polarization. The method determines an orientation of the target based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, and generates a point cloud based on the orientation of the target.

Techniques for determining orientation of a target using light polarization

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) apparatus is provided that includes an optical source configured to emit an optical beam. The LIDAR apparatus further includes free space optics configured to receive a first portion of the optical beam as a target signal and a second portion of the optical beam as a local oscillator signal, and combine the target signal and the local oscillator signal. The LIDAR apparatus includes a multi-mode (MM) waveguide configured to receive the combined signal.

LIDAR system with a multi-mode waveguide photodetector

A LiDAR system includes an optical source to emit an optical beam, an optical window to reflect a first portion of the optical beam to generate an LO signal, and an optical scanner to transmit a second portion of the optical beam to a target to scan the target to generate a target return signal. The LiDAR system includes a birefringent crystal plate to transmit the LO signal and the target return signal to a PD and shift the LO signal and the target return signal by different displacements to increase a percentage of an overlap of the LO signal and the target return signal on a detection plane of the PD. The LiDAR system includes the PD to mix the target return signal with the LO signal on the detection plane of the PD to generate a heterodyne signal to extract range and velocity information of the target.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Oguzhan Avci