www.darpa.mil New Materials and Devices: Modular Optical Aperture Building Blocks (MOABB) Integrated Optical Phased Arrays for LiDAR C. V. Poulton, M. J. Byrd, P. Russo, E. Timurdogan, M. Khandaker, M. Whitson, E. Hosseini, B. Moss, Z. Su, D. Vermeulen and M. R. Watts; Analog Photonics Optical Phased Arrays (OPA) Laser Integration SG-DBR Laser OPA Optical train • Phased arrays are arrays of electro-magnetic antennas with individual phase control • Tuning the phases allows for arbitrary pattern generation and beam steering RADAR Phased Array Optical Phased Array • The high integration of silicon photonics allows for co-packaging with an integrated III/V laser • Above shows an optical phased array chip co- packaged with a III/V sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector (SG-DBR) laser • Optical coupling between the two chips is realized with two ball lenses that performs mode-matching between the two couplers Silicon Photonics Free-Space Communication Silicon photonics is a chip technology enabling optical “circuits” based on laser light guided in silicon optical nanowires. • 50m free-space data link achieved at a 10Gbps data-rate with two passive optical phased arrays as a transmitter and a receiver • Active demo of OPA-based free-space communication successful with beam steering between two receivers (1Gbps at 1m) Active OPAs Passive OPAs Program Goal Long-Range FMCW LiDAR • Coherent LiDAR demonstrated with OPAs up to almost 200m • Active OPAs used for raster scanning scene • The MOABB program aims to create a large integrated flat optical aperture with a 10cm 2 area for LIDAR and free-space data communication • Enables high-power optical beam transmitting and receiving with solid-state beam steering TX RX Chip-scale LiDAR 2D Beam Steering Applications Wavelength Phase shifters • 2D beam steering is achieved by utilizing element phase shifters and changing wavelength • Steering ranges up to 70° x 18° have been demonstrated with pitches down to 1.35um Automotive Robotics Aerial Vehicles This research was developed with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The views, opinions and/or findings expressed are those of the author and should not be interpreted as representing the official views or policies of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. Unless otherwise attributed, all images, charts, and diagrams were generated by Analog Photonics. AP CEO: Michael Watts – [email protected] | Author: Christopher V. Poulton – [email protected] Source: Google Images Source: Google Images Source: Boston Dynamics Source: Boston Dynamics Source: Google Images Source: Google Images Source: Google Images Distribution Statement A – Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited System Target