Optical system for full frame flash solid state lidar system

Abstract

A solid-state optical system comprising: a sensor array having a field of view; an emitter array comprising a plurality of emitter units mounted on a surface of a common substrate and arranged in a two-dimensional array, wherein each emitter unit in the plurality of emitter units is spaced apart from its adjacent emitter units by a first distance and emits pulses of light having a predetermined beam divergence; an optical element comprising a plurality of lenses corresponding in number to the plurality of emitter units and arranged in a two-dimensional array in which adjacent optical elements in the two-dimensional array are spaced apart from each other by the first distance, wherein the optical element is positioned adjacent to the emitter array such that each lens in the plurality of lenses is spaced apart from and receives the pulses of light emitted from a corresponding one of the emitter units in the plurality of emitter units and is configured to reduce the angle of divergence of the pulses of light emitted by its corresponding emitter unit; and a diffuser disposed adjacent to the optical element and configured to spread light received from the optical element across the entire field of view of the sensor array.