Solutions | Optical Systems
Whether ranging works is decided by the shape of the transmitted beam, the collection of the return, and the scene itself. Low-reflectance targets, fog, interfering light. Whether a design holds up can only be judged on system-level metrics such as the depth map and detection range.
Design challenges
The nanophotonics that forms the beam, the array that steers it, the receiving optics that collect a faint return, and the scene, where atmospheric scattering and target reflectance dominate. A weakness at any one of those four scales sets the detection range on its own. Everything from component through to 3D scene has to be joined up and put into a form you can evaluate as a depth map or point cloud.
Design and simulation workflow
Settle the scanning and detection schemes, and fix the analysis methods used from here on.
Obtain the radiation pattern and emission angle from the waveguide and grating.
Arrange the emitting elements and confirm beam steering by phase distribution.
Obtain the beat frequency from the chirped source and homodyne detection.
Design the projection and receiving paths, and evaluate stray light between them.
Trace in a scene with materials and atmospheric conditions applied, and obtain the depth map.
The stages differ by project. Architectures that do not use a photonic circuit skip stages 02 to 04. Prototyping covers the chip, not the transmit and receive optics or the housing.
Related analysis technologies
The principles and scope of each method are explained on the Analysis Technologies pages.
Related products
The capabilities and coverage of each product are described on its own product page.
Handles waveguide mode analysis. FDE gives the guided mode entering the emitting element.
Stage / 02
Handles analysis of the emitting element. Three-dimensional FDTD gives the radiation pattern and emission angle from the waveguide and grating.
Stage / 02
Handles circuit analysis of the optical phased array and the detection scheme. The chirped source and homodyne detection give the beat frequency.
Stage / 03-04
Handles the transmit and receive optics and stray light evaluation, using sequential and non-sequential ray tracing as appropriate.
Stage / 05
Handles verification in a 3D scene. Tracing in a scene with materials and atmospheric conditions applied gives the depth map.
Stage / 06
Foundry and manufacturing
For architectures that use a photonic circuit, once the chip layout is settled you move to prototyping through a multi-project wafer (MPW) or a dedicated run. Prototyping covers the chip, not the transmit and receive optics or the housing.
Whether prototyping and manufacturing are possible, and in what form, is judged case by case from the target platform and process conditions. For architectures that do not use a photonic circuit, this stage does not apply.
Related technical information
Tell us where the design stands, how far architecture selection has progressed, whether the problem is on the chip side or the system side, and the metrics you want to evaluate, and we will propose a way forward.