KR-102962995-B1 - Optical detection and distance measurement system including a high-power amplifier

KR102962995B1KR 102962995 B1KR102962995 B1KR 102962995B1KR-102962995-B1

Abstract

The LIDAR system comprises a laser configured to output a beam, a modulator configured to receive the beam and modulate the beam to generate a modulated beam, an optical integrated circuit comprising an amplifier coupled to receive the modulated beam from the modulator and generate an amplified beam—the amplifier having an active layer configured to emit heat and an alternating grating or a periodic grating or a supergrating structure—and a transceiver chip coupled to the optical integrated circuit and configured to emit the amplified beam and receive a beam reflected from a target.

Inventors

바르드와즈, 아시시
호세이니, 아미르

Assignees

오로라 오퍼레이션스, 인크.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20231116
Priority Date: 20221230

Claims (20)

As a light detection and distance measurement (LIDAR) system: A laser configured to output a beam; A modulator configured to receive a beam from the above laser and modulate the beam to generate a modulated beam; An optical integrated circuit having an optical amplifier—the optical amplifier is coupled to receive the modulated beam from the modulator and generate an amplified beam, and the structural configuration within the optical amplifier comprises (i) an active layer and (ii) a guide layer comprising a specific structure of alternating alloy materials coupled to the active layer and configured to emit heat—; and A transceiver chip coupled to the above-mentioned optical integrated circuit and configured to emit the amplified beam and receive the beam reflected from the target. A light detection and distance measurement (LIDAR) system including
In claim 1, A LIDAR system in which the above active layer is an offset bulk quantum mechanical structure or a multiple quantum mechanical structure.
In claim 2, The above offset bulk quantum mechanical structure is a LIDAR system that is one of a group of offset multiple quantum wells or offset quantum dot layers.
In claim 1, A LIDAR system comprising a first heat dissipation structure that reduces heat from the lower side of the optical integrated circuit and a second heat dissipation structure that reduces heat from the upper side of the optical integrated circuit.
In claim 1, The above specific structure comprises one or more alternating stacked indium phosphide (InP) layers, a LIDAR system.
In claim 1, A LIDAR system comprising an alternating or periodic or superlattice structure comprising one or more alternating stacked indium phosphide and indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) or indium gallium aluminum arsenide (InGaAlAs) or other quaternary or ternary alloy layers for enhanced wall-plug efficiency through enhanced heat dissipation.
In claim 1, A LIDAR system in which the above-mentioned specific structure is integrated with a silicon photonic waveguide and the above-mentioned specific structure has an optical mode converter.
In claim 1, The above optical integrated circuit includes a monolithic integrated spot-size converter, and the above optical integrated circuit is optically coupled to an optical waveguide connector, LIDAR system.
In claim 1, The above optical integrated circuit comprises one or more passive components monolithically integrated with the above optical amplifier, in a LIDAR system.
In claim 9, A LIDAR system comprising one or more passive components, wherein the above-mentioned semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is coupled by a U-turn to a monolithically integrated coupler to provide input to the same side of the optical integrated circuit.
In claim 1, The above specific structure is a LIDAR system comprising an alternating, periodic, or superlattice structure.
In claim 1, A LIDAR system in which the optical integrated circuit includes a second amplifier providing a specific gain and monolithically integrates, and the output of the second amplifier is coupled to the input of the optical amplifier.
As an optical integrated circuit: A first amplifier coupled to receive an input beam and generate an amplified beam, having a specific structure configured for an active layer and enhanced heat dissipation—the structural configuration within the first amplifier comprises an active layer and a guide layer coupled to the active layer and comprising a specific structure of alternating alloy materials configured for enhanced heat dissipation—; and An optical integrated circuit comprising one or more passive components monolithically integrated with the first amplifier as part of the optical integrated circuit.
In claim 13, The above active layer is an optical integrated circuit, which is an offset bulk or multiple quantum well structure.
In claim 14, The above offset bulk or multiple quantum well structure is one of the offset bulk quantum wells, multiple quantum wells, or a group of offset quantum dot layers, an optical integrated circuit.
In claim 13, The specific structure described above comprises an alternating or periodic or superlattice structure comprising alternating indium phosphide (InP) and an alloy layer for enhanced wall-plug efficiency through enhanced heat dissipation, an optical integrated circuit.
In claim 13, The specific structure described above is an optical integrated circuit comprising an alternating or periodic or superlattice structure including alternating gallium arsenide (GaAs) and an alloy layer having enhanced wall-plug efficiency and enhanced heat dissipation characteristics.
In claim 13, The above specific structure is an optical integrated circuit comprising an optical mode converter for integration with a silicon photonic waveguide.
In claim 13, An optical integrated circuit comprising a monolithic integrated spot-size converter, wherein the optical integrated circuit is optically coupled to an optical waveguide.
In claim 13, One or more of the above passive components are combined by a U-turn to form a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA), an optical integrated circuit.

Description

Optical detection and distance measurement system including a high-power amplifier The present disclosure relates to high-power amplifiers (e.g., optical amplifiers) for light detection and distance measurement (LIDAR) systems, more specifically to a monolithically integrated high-power optical amplifier comprising passive and active components for LIDAR systems. LIDAR sensor systems are used in a wide range of applications, from elevation measurement to imaging and collision avoidance. The design and implementation of LIDAR sensor systems may utilize one or more photonic integrated circuits (PICs) or integrated optical circuits, which are chips containing photonic components. In the past, there have been increasing attempts to incorporate the photonic components and optical functions of LIDAR systems into a single PIC. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to high-power optical amplifier(s) for a LIDAR system, more specifically to monolithic integrated high-power optical amplifier(s) comprising passive and active components for a LIDAR system. According to one aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure, a LIDAR system comprises a laser configured to output a beam, a modulator coupled to receive a beam output from a seed laser and modulate the beam to generate a modulated beam, an optical integrated circuit having optical amplifier(s) coupled to receive the modulated beam from the modulator and generate an amplified beam—the amplifier having a specific structure configured to emit heat and an active layer for amplification—and a transceiver chip coupled to the optical integrated circuit and configured to emit the amplified beam and receive a beam reflected from a target. According to another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure, an optical integrated circuit comprises a first optical amplifier coupled to receive an input beam and generate an amplified beam—the first amplifier having an active layer for amplification and a specific structure configured to emit heat—and one or more passive components monolithically integrated with the first optical amplifier as part of the optical integrated circuit. These and other embodiments may each optionally include one or more of the following features. For example, the features may include a feature in which the active layer is an offset bulk or multiple quantum well structure, and for example, the offset bulk or multiple quantum well structure is one of a group of offset quantum wells or an offset dot layer. For example, the features may also include a feature in which the optical integrated circuit includes a first heat dissipation structure that reduces heat from the lower side of the optical integrated circuit and a second heat dissipation structure that reduces heat from the upper side of the optical integrated circuit. In other examples, features may include that a specific structure comprises one or more alternating indium phosphide (InP) layers, or that a specific structure comprises an alternating or periodic or superlattice structure comprising one or more alternating indium phosphide and indium gallium arsenide (InGaAsP) or indium gallium aluminum arsenide (InGaAlAs) or other quaternary or ternary alloy layers having enhanced heat dissipation and high wall-plug efficiency. For example, a specific structure is integrated with a silicon photonics waveguide and has an optical mode size. In another feature, the optical integrated circuit comprises a monolithic integrated spot-size converter, wherein the optical integrated circuit is optically coupled to an optical waveguide, e.g., a fiber optic connector. In some features, the optical integrated circuit includes an optical amplifier and one or more passive components monolithically integrated, or the one or more passive components include a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) coupled in a U-turn to a monolithically integrated coupler to provide optical input and output on the same side of the optical integrated circuit. For example, a specific SOA includes an alternating, periodic, or superlattice structure having enhanced heat dissipation and high wall-plug efficiency. For example, features may include the optical integrated circuit including a second optical amplifier providing a specific gain and monolithically integrated, wherein the output of the second amplifier is coupled to the input of the first amplifier. Those skilled in the art will understand that this overview is merely illustrative and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Any of the features described herein may be used in combination with any other features, and any subset of such features may be used in combination according to various embodiments. Other aspects, original features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes described herein, defined solely by the claims, will become apparent in the detailed description mentioned herein and considered together with the accompan