Optoelectronic Laser Assembly With Built-In Beam Collimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current LiDAR systems rely on semiconductor lasers with low-quality, highly divergent beams, requiring complex and costly optics for beam transformation, limiting their compactness, cost-effectiveness, and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The use of surface-emitting photonic crystal semiconductor lasers (PCSEL) that generate highly collimated light without additional collimating optics, coupled with diffractive or meta-optical elements to achieve diffraction-limited divergence, allowing for simpler and more compact optical designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If semiconductor lasers with high output power are used, then measurement range is improved, but beam divergence increases requiring complex collimating optics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the collimating optics from the optical system by using semiconductor lasers that inherently generate collimated light. This removes the problematic component that added complexity while maintaining high output power capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of beam quality by using specialized semiconductor laser designs (edge-emitting lasers with optimized cavity structures) that produce diffraction-limited divergence angles, transforming the beam characteristics to eliminate the need for additional collimation components
2Manufacturing precision
If collimating optics are added to reduce beam divergence, then beam quality is improved, but device compactness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes collimating optics from the system by selecting semiconductor lasers that inherently produce collimated beams, thereby reducing the overall device volume while maintaining beam quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the laser source and collimation function into a single integrated component - the semiconductor laser itself performs both light generation and collimation, eliminating the need for separate collimating optics and reducing device footprint
3Manufacturing precision
If complex lens systems are used for beam transformation, then beam quality is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates complex lens systems from the optical path by using semiconductor lasers with optimized emission characteristics, thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs while maintaining beam quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the emission parameters of the laser source to produce inherently high-quality beams with diffraction-limited divergence, eliminating the need for expensive beam transformation optics and simplifying the overall system
4Power
If multiple apertures are used to achieve high power output, then output power is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple aperture functions into a single semiconductor laser source that inherently provides the necessary beam quality and power output, eliminating the need for multiple separate apertures and associated complex optics
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables high-power single-mode operation (>500 mW) with reduced beam divergence, eliminating the need for collimating lenses and enabling longer measurement ranges while maintaining wavelength stability, thus enhancing the compactness and cost-effectiveness of LiDAR systems.
Implementation Method 1
The semiconductor laser is configured to generate a light beam with diffraction-limited divergence by a laser process
Implementation Method 2
The optical element can, for example, comprise a diffractive optical element and/or a meta-optical element
Data Source
AI summary
An optoelectronic component includes a housing. An optical element and a semiconductor laser are arranged along a common optical axis within the housing. The semiconductor laser is designed to generate, by means of a laser process, a light beam having a diffraction-limited divergence such that the light beam is substantially collimated on the optical element.