A Heterogeneously Integrated Photonic-Electronic Architecture for FMCW LiDAR

The development of compact, robust Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems capable of long range (>200 m) and high accuracy (<10 cm) is essential for applications such as autonomous driving, robotics, and space exploration. Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) LiDAR offers inherent advantages for these applications, including simultaneous range and velocity measurement and high interference immunity, facilitating widespread adoption potential. However, realizing the target performance presents significant integration challenges. This paper proposes a heterogeneous photonic-electronic architecture designed to meet these demanding requirements. The architecture integrates an Indium Phosphide (InP) based highly linear laser source and amplifier with Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) photonics, which includes passive circuitry and Optical Phased Array (OPA) beam steering. This Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) is intended for co-packaging with dedicated control and processing electronics, forming a complete, compact, solid-state FMCW LiDAR system projected to achieve 200 m range and 10 cm accuracy.