Flexible VCSEL module for short and mid-range LiDAR
Coherent has launched an illumination module platform for short- and mid-range light detection and ranging (LiDAR) in automotive and industrial applications.
The Coherent platform uses eight 940 nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) modules with several selectively addressable horizontal slices of the field of illumination (FOI).
This provides a much lower-cost alternative to using large addressable VCSEL arrays and allows developers to explore multiple VCSEL module positioning configurations and scanning algorithms for various depth sensing modalities and types of scenery.
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Developers can adjust the duration of the driving pulses to achieve both short- and mid-range LiDAR sensing and the FOI slices are dynamically selectable depending on the number of VCSEL modules and the order in which they are scanned. A voltage supply of only 21 V is required, which is much lower, and therefore more efficient, than existing LiDAR technology.
“A powerful aspect of the module platform is the ability to customize an optimized solution for use cases requiring up to 30 meters of depth sensing in bright daylight. Our illuminators exceed 30% total power conversion efficiency and have a compact footprint, only about a third of the size of a credit card,” said Dr David Ahmari, Vice President & General Manager of the Optoelectronic Devices & Modules Business at Coherent.
“To achieve this breakthrough in efficiency and size, we are leveraging our state-of-the-art five-junction VCSEL technology that enables each illuminator module to achieve up to 200 W of output power. Our demonstrator is available for customers to evaluate and better envision the expanded universe of applications enabled.”
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