Fast laser beam steering into multiple diffraction orders with a single digital micromirror device for time-of-flight lidar

Joshua Rodriguez, Braden Smith, Brandon Hellman, Yuzuru Takashima

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The sampling rate and angular resolution of diffraction-based beam steering employing a digital micromirror device (DMD) can be simultaneously enhanced by at least an order of magnitude by synchronizing multiple nanosecond laser sources and pulses during each DMD actuation. A time-of-flight single-chip DMD lidar with three sources measures a range at a 3.34 kHz sampling rate and a 3.4 angular resolution across a 48 field of view. Employing multiple diffraction orders of the DMD improves the sampling rate at least by a factor of 2 and up to the number of diffraction orders supported by the DMD. An improved sampling rate of 6.68 kHz with a 9.6 angular resolution is experimentally demonstrated by illuminating micromirrors multiple times within a single transition period of the micromirrors.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)G239-G248
JournalApplied optics
Volume59
Issue number22
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
  • Engineering (miscellaneous)
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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