Parallel random LiDAR with spatial multiplexing of a many-mode laser

TL;DR

This paper introduces a parallel LiDAR system utilizing a multimode laser's random intensity fluctuations to achieve high-speed, high-resolution 3D sensing with hundreds of uncorrelated channels.

Contribution

It demonstrates a novel parallel LiDAR approach using a multimode laser with spatial multiplexing, enabling ultrafast, high-resolution 3D imaging.

Findings

Bandwidth per channel exceeds 10 GHz

Ranging resolution better than 1 cm

Robust to cross-channel interference

Abstract

We propose and experimentally demonstrate parallel LiDAR using random intensity fluctuations from a highly multimode laser. We optimize a degenerate cavity to have many spatial modes lasing simultaneously with different frequencies. Their spatio-temporal beating creates ultrafast random intensity fluctuations, which are spatially demultiplexed to generate hundreds of uncorrelated time traces for parallel ranging. The bandwidth of each channel exceeds 10 GHz, leading to a ranging resolution better than 1 cm. Our parallel random LiDAR is robust to cross-channel interference, and will facilitate high-speed 3D sensing and imaging.