Silicon Photonics for Solid-State LiDAR and Beyond

By enabling the integration of millions of micro-scale optical components on compact millimeter-scale computer chips, silicon photonics is positioned to enable next-generation optical technologies that facilitate revolutionary advances for numerous fields spanning science and engineering. An emerging class of silicon photonic systems is integrated optical phased arrays (OPAs), which enable manipulation and dynamic control of free-space light in a compact formfactor, at low costs, and in a non-mechanical way. In this talk, I will highlight our work on developing novel OPA-based platforms, devices, and systems that enable chip-based solutions to high-impact problems, with a focus on solid-state LiDAR sensors for autonomous systems.