Technology
Optical Phased Array Beam Steering in LiDAR Systems
Quick fact
Optical phased arrays are inspired by radio antenna arrays but work with light waves, where the phase shifters are just micrometers across, and the entire beam-steering chip can be smaller than a fingernail.
Why this is interesting
Imagine steering a laser beam without any moving parts—just by sending tiny electrical signals across a chip. How can that be possible? That's exactly what an optical phased array does, and it's set to transform LiDAR technology.