Pictured, right: LX02, KW VCSEL Line Beam Transmitter for LiDAR by Focuslight.

Xi'an, China – Focuslight Technologies Inc., a global provider of high-power diode lasers and micro-optics, has announced LX02 – a KW VCSEL Line Beam Transmitter Module for LiDAR.

The benefits and advantages of LiDAR have emerged as the technology of autonomous driving evolves. To fulfill the market requirements of safe and intelligent driving, the LiDAR system requires a laser transmitter with not only high reliability but also low cost to enable mass adoption by consumer vehicles.

Currently, EEL technology is still the primary laser choice for LiDAR designers because of its high peak power. VCSEL technology, with development in multiple-junction technology, serves as a novel light source for LiDAR and has gradually been recognized by the market because of its small wavelength temperature coefficient under wide temperatures, higher reliability under harsh environments, and lower cost at high volumes.

The wide adoption of VCSELs in smartphones in recent years also lays a good foundation for the development of automotive LiDAR applications with mature technology and supply chain. VCSEL line beam transmitter modules have generally compared with the EEL-based version. Additional temperature stabilization elements such as TEC are therefore not necessary.

Line beam scanning is a novel and promising automotive-grade LiDAR architecture for long-range detection. This scheme generally requires a line-shaped laser beam with overall high brightness and small divergence at the horizontal axis as a light source, which will be scanned by a rotating mirror.

As the successor of LX01, LX02 pioneers in the line beam laser transmitting based on VCSEL and pushes the boundaries of the LiDAR solutions further. The laser transmitter utilizes state-of-the-art 5J high-power VCSEL chips and Focuslight’s unique beam shaping optics to emit 1kW peak power with < 0.15° horizontal divergence while achieving a typical vertical FOV of 23° with high uniformity (> 90%). It is also delivered with an embedded laser driver powered by GaN FET fast switch, releasing ultra-short (width < 5ns) pulses.

The product is designed for integration into LiDAR systems. It also has uses in light detection, 3D sensing, and industrial sensing application.

About Focuslight Technologies

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Xi'an, China, Focuslight Technologies Inc. is a fast-growing company that develops and manufactures high power diode lasers (photon generation), laser optics (photon control), and photonic modules and systems (application solutions) used in advanced manufacturing, health, research, automotive, and consumer electronics applications.

In 2017, Focuslight acquired LIMO, one of the leading manufacturers of micro-optics and beam shaping solutions and a pioneer in groundbreaking photonics production technologies. Focuslight has over 400 patents worldwide and is ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001:2015, and IATF 16949 certified.