Lumentum Announces 5- and 6-Junction VCSEL Arrays
March 3, 2021
Lumentum Holdings, which develops VCSEL arrays for 3D sensing and lidar applications, has announced new high-power and high-efficiency five and six junction vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays for advanced consumer, automotive, lidar and other 3D sensing applications.
The company said lidar and 3D sensing is expanding into new applications in consumer electronics, automotive and industrial markets. The new applications and functionality are driving the need for higher power and higher efficiency from smaller form factor devices. Lumentum said its five and six junction VCSEL arrays enable lower power dissipation, high slope efficiencies, and optical peak powers compared with existing devices. For example, optical power exceeding 2W per individual VCSEL emitter has resulted in more than 800W of peak power from a compact one square millimeter-sized VCSEL array, the company said. These features all contribute to extending their use to high performance in all-solid-state medium and long-range lidar.
“Automotive, consumer, and industrial customers increasingly need higher performance VCSEL arrays to drive increased functionality and adoption of lidar and 3D sensing-enabled products,” said Andre Wong, vice president of 3D sensing product line management at Lumentum. “Our latest multi-junction VCSEL arrays continue our long history of pioneering innovative optical solutions in close collaboration with customers. These new products leverage the well-proven high-volume, 6-inch wafer supply that we established more than four years ago.”
The multi-junction VCSEL arrays emit at 940 nm and 905 nm, and are manufactured on the same production lines as current high-volume VCSEL array products that serve the consumer electronics market, Lumentum said. Additional optical solutions are available for 3D sensing, automotive, and lidar applications. This includes vehicle in-cabin monitoring, high-performance Gallium Arsenide and Indium Phosphide edge-emitting laser chips for 3D sensing and lidar, and 1550 nm narrow-linewidth DBR diode lasers for long-range frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) coherent lidar.
The company said it will showcase its broad product line of lasers and optics for 3D sensing and lidar at the SPIE Photonics West 2021 Digital Forum, to be held March 6-11, 2021.
