Descrizione del progetto
La fotonica integrata potrebbe accelerare la commercializzazione del LIDAR compatto
I sistemi LIDAR (Laser detection and ranging) possono fornire immagini e mappature accurate per una vasta gamma di applicazioni: ad esempio, sono gli «occhi» dei veicoli autonomi e sono anche utilizzati da robot e droni autonomi. Tuttavia, le dimensioni e i costi della tecnologia attualmente necessaria hanno limitato l’uso del LIDAR nelle applicazioni commerciali. Il progetto OPHELLIA, finanziato dall’UE, produrrà nuovi elementi costitutivi per LIDAR, cioè chip fotonici al nitruro di silicio, per produrre sorgenti laser ad alte prestazioni con coerenza e potenza senza precedenti. Una soluzione avanzata di confezionamento dei circuiti integrati ridurrà drasticamente i costi complessivi del LIDAR. Il lavoro del progetto costituirà un passo avanti fondamentale per la commercializzazione diffusa di sistemi LIDAR compatti che potrebbero avere implicazioni di vasta portata per le telecomunicazioni, il rilevamento e le tecnologie quantistiche.
Obiettivo
Miniaturized, yet highly sensitive and fast LiDAR systems serve market demands for their use on platforms ranging from robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles (cars, trains, boats, etc.) that are mostly used in complex environments. The widespread use of high performance LiDAR tools faces a need for cost and size reduction. A key component of a LiDAR system is the light source.
Very few laser light sources exist that provide sufficient performance to achieve the required distance range, distance resolution and velocity accuracy of the emerging applications identified in LiDAR roadmaps. The available sources, namely single mode or multimode laser diodes and fiber lasers, are either very costly, not sufficiently robust or not compact enough.
In OPHELLIA, we will investigate advanced materials and integration technologies directed to produce novel PIC building blocks, namely high gain, high output power (booster) amplifiers and on-chip isolators that are not yet available in a PIC format with the required performance. The novel building blocks will be monolithically integrated onto the Si3N4 generic photonic platform to produce high performance laser sources with unprecedented high coherence and high power, which will have a profound impact on the performance of the systems. Advanced packaging will further contribute to a dramatic reduction of the overall cost.
To achieve this ambitious goal, OPHELLIA will leverage the expertise of its consortium members, ranging from materials, integration technologies and PIC design to packaging and LiDAR systems integration, which covers the full chain from innovation to the deployment of the technology in a relevant environment. The successful realization of OPHELLIA will not only represent a milestone towards the widespread utilization of LiDAR systems, but the developed building blocks will also have an enormous impact in other emerging application fields such as datacom/telecom, sensing/spectroscopy and quantum technology.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringautomotive engineeringautonomous vehicles
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robotsdrones
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticslaser physics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinatore
7522 NB Enschede
Paesi Bassi