Luminar Technologies, Inc.

A waveguide grating antenna apparatus includes a substrate layer, a lower waveguide array layer upon the substrate, and an upper waveguide array layer positioned above the lower waveguide array layer. The lower waveguide array layer is composed of a plurality of first waveguides extending axially and a plurality of second waveguides extending axially and arranged in parallel and alternating in position with the plurality of first waveguides across the lower waveguide array layer. Each first waveguide is of a first maximum width. Each second waveguide is of a second maximum width narrower than the first maximum width and is spaced apart from each adjacent first waveguide. The upper waveguide array layer is composed of adjacent, separated elements extending axially along each first waveguide and each second waveguide.

An optical receiver includes a parasitic current compensation circuit having a reference diode, a sense avalanche photodiode (APD), at least one DC voltage source, and a measurement node. The at least one DC voltage source is configured to generate a first DC bias voltage that varies over time and drives the reference diode, and generates a second DC bias voltage that varies over time and drives the sense APD. A reference parasitic current travels through the reference diode based on the first DC bias voltage. A sense current travels through the sense APD based on the second DC bias voltage and exposure of the sense APD to a light signal. The measurement node receives a sense photocurrent, which is generated by the sense APD in response to the exposure of the sense APD to the light signal, the sense photocurrent including the sense current less the reference parasitic current.

A scanner for a lidar system is configured to direct emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system in accordance with a scan pattern. The scanner includes a mirror and an actuator assembly. The mirror includes a reflective surface and a rear surface and is pivotable along a mirror axle. The actuator assembly is disposed along the rear surface of the mirror and is configured to exert a torque on the mirror to cause the mirror to pivot about the mirror axle.

Method and apparatus for generating pulses in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In some embodiments, a resonance chamber is provided to recirculate electromagnetic radiation from a light source between a base mirror and an active laminated structure characterized as a Bragg grating structure and having interleaved passive and active layers. A Q-switch control circuit applies a voltage profile to the active layers to transition the active laminated structure between a charging state in which the electromagnetic radiation recirculates within the resonance chamber and a release state in which the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the active laminated structure as an emitted light pulse. The passive layers may be formed of a dielectric material. The active layers may be formed of a metal material such but not limited to Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3), Barium Titanate (BaTiO3), doped Silicon (Si), or doped Germanium (Ge).

A system includes a signal transmitter configured to emit a signal pulse and a signal receiver configured to receive one or more reflected pulses of the emitted signal pulse, wherein the signal receiver includes a plurality of comparators configured to sample the one or more reflected pulses at different intensity threshold levels to determine a group of slices representative of the received one or more reflected pulses, wherein each slice of at least a portion of the group of slices identifies a corresponding timing of when at least a portion of the received one or more reflected pulses met a corresponding intensity threshold level. The system further includes one or more processors configured to use the determined slices to reconstruct the one or more reflected pulses.

A light detection and ranging system can have a metasurface that continuously extends between a pair of electrical contacts. The metasurface may be separated from an underlying silicon substrate by an air gap with the silicon substate doped with a P-i-N configuration to create electrostatic force that alters a size of the air gap in response to a voltage bias between the pair of electrical contacts.

An aspect of the disclosure is related to an apparatus consisting of a first chip including a first waveguide and a second chip including a second waveguide. The apparatus further includes a medium to couple the first waveguide with the second waveguide. The first plane of the first chip is arranged to be perpendicular to a second plane of the second chip to enable a polarization rotation.

A scanner for a lidar system configured to direct emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system includes a mirror and an actuator assembly. The mirror includes a first end, a second end, and a reflective surface and is pivotable along a mirror axle. The actuator assembly is disposed at the first end of the mirror and includes an asymmetric motor configured to exert a torque on the mirror to cause the mirror to pivot about the mirror axle.

In various embodiments, a system for detecting an obscurant on an environment surface includes a light source; a scanner; a receiver that detects scattered reflection returns, some of which may be below a detection threshold; and a processor. The processor determines whether the portion below the threshold corresponds to an obscurant on an environment surface, including by: receiving a new point cloud including a group of points corresponding to the environment surface, clustering at least a portion of the group of points to form a projected shape, and clustering into a candidate cluster at least a portion of the portion below the threshold that belong to projected locations within the shape. The obscurant candidate cluster is compared with a previously determined cluster to determine whether a detected change conforms to a detected physical movement of the system. If so, the obscurant candidate cluster is an obscurant on the environment surface.

To dynamically control power in a lidar system, a controller identifies a triggering event and provides a control signal to a light source in the lidar system adjusting the power of light pulses emitted by the light source. The triggering event includes identifying a particular type of object within a threshold distance of the lidar system. In some scenarios, the power is adjusted to address eye-safety concerns.