Lumentum in long-range VCSEL LiDAR breakthrough

Technologies and Products

Lumentum has expanded its multi-junction vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-based offerings to include high-performance 1D and 2D addressable arrays for advanced automotive, consumer and industrial LiDAR and 3D sensing applications. Lumentum says its VCSEL arrays enable a more compact, reliable, robust, and fully solid-state LiDAR solution with no moving parts. The high-power multi-junction addressable VCSEL arrays emit at 905nm and 940nm and offer higher peak power, addressability, thermal stability, and a narrow wavelength range, extending the potential for all-solid-state short-, medium- and long-range LiDAR systems.

VCSEL arrays have become the preferred laser illumination source for short-range 3D sensing applications such as biometric security and world-facing LiDAR in consumer mobile devices due to their proven reliability and ability to be manufactured at scale. Lumentum’s multi-junction VCSEL arrays deliver the higher peak optical power densities and efficiencies required for longer-range applications by decreasing the electrical current needed and simplifying electrical driver and package design.

“We’re excited to build on our industry-leading multi-junction VCSEL technology with this breakthrough and bring addressable array illumination sources to longer-range depth-sensing applications like LiDAR,” said Matt Everett, product line director of 3D Sensing at Lumentum. “On-chip array addressability can eliminate the need for mechanical beam scanning, which opens a new world of possibilities for autonomous vehicles and emerging 3D sensing systems and will help accelerate LiDAR adoption across a wide range of customer applications.”

The multi-junction addressable VCSEL array products are expected to be available in 4Q22.

For more information, visit www.lumentum.com