Devices with ultra-small vertical cavity surface emitting laser emitters incorporating beam steering

Abstract

A laser array includes a plurality of laser emitters arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on a substrate that is non-native to the plurality of laser emitters, and a plurality of driver transistors on the substrate adjacent one or more of the laser diodes. A subset of the plurality of laser emitters includes a string of laser emitters that are connected such that an anode of at least one laser emitter of the subset is connected to a cathode of an adjacent laser emitter of the subset. A driver transistor of the plurality of driver transistors is configured to control a current flowing through the string.

1 . A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
 a plurality of laser emitters arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on a substrate;   a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches electrically connected with a respective column and/or row of the plurality of columns to control operation of ones of the laser emitters of the respective column and/or row; and   control circuitry configured to operate the plurality of switches to illuminate a first portion of a field of view (FOV) of the LIDAR system using a first subset of the plurality of laser emitters and to illuminate a second portion of the FOV, different from the first portion, using a second subset of the plurality of laser emitters.   
     
     
         2 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of switches comprise a plurality of driver transistors. 
     
     
         3 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of switches is electrically coupled to the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters between a voltage source of the plurality of laser emitters and an electrical ground. 
     
     
         4 . The LIDAR system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of switches comprises a first switch that is electrically coupled between a first laser emitter of the first subset and the electrical ground. 
     
     
         5 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one capacitor electrically coupled to the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters between a voltage source of the plurality of laser emitters and an electrical ground. 
     
     
         6 . The LIDAR system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one capacitor is electrically coupled between the voltage source and at least one laser emitter of the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters. 
     
     
         7 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters comprises at least two first laser emitters of a first row of the plurality of rows and/or a first column of the plurality of columns, and
 wherein the second subset of the plurality of laser emitters comprises at least two second laser emitters of a second row of the plurality of rows and/or a second column of the plurality of columns.   
     
     
         8 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters comprises at least two laser emitters of a first column and at least two laser emitters of a second column of the plurality of columns, wherein the second column is different from the first column, and
 wherein the second subset of the plurality of laser emitters comprises at least two laser emitters of a third column and at least two laser emitters of a fourth column of the plurality of columns, wherein the fourth column is different from the third column.   
     
     
         9 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein the ones of the laser emitters within the respective column of the plurality of columns are serially connected anode-to-cathode. 
     
     
         10 . The LIDAR system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of switches are arranged on the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system comprising:
 providing a plurality of laser emitters arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on a substrate;   providing a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches electrically connected with a respective column of the plurality of columns to control operation of the ones of the laser emitters of the respective column; and   selectively controlling the plurality of switches to illuminate a first portion of a field of view (FOV) of the LIDAR system using a first subset of the plurality of laser emitters and to illuminate a second portion of the FOV, different from the first portion, using a second subset of the plurality of laser emitters.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of laser emitters are free of a native substrate thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of switches comprise a plurality of driver transistors. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the plurality of switches is electrically coupled to the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters between a voltage source of the plurality of laser emitters and an electrical ground. 
     
     
         15 . A Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, comprising:
 a plurality of laser emitters arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on a substrate, wherein ones of the laser emitters within respective columns of the plurality of columns are electrically coupled between a voltage source and an electrical ground; and   at least one capacitor electrically coupled to a first subset of the plurality of laser emitters between the voltage source and the electrical ground; and   control circuitry configured to operate the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters to illuminate a first portion of a field of view (FOV) of the LIDAR system and to operate a second subset of the plurality of laser emitters to illuminate a second portion of the FOV, different from the first portion.   
     
     
         16 . The LIDAR system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one capacitor is electrically coupled between the voltage source and at least one laser emitter of the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters. 
     
     
         17 . The LIDAR system of  claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of switches, each of the plurality of switches electrically connected with a respective column and/or row of the plurality of columns to control operation of the ones of the laser emitters of the respective column and/or row. 
     
     
         18 . The LIDAR system of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of switches comprise a plurality of driver transistors. 
     
     
         19 . The LIDAR system of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the plurality of switches is electrically coupled to the first subset of the plurality of laser emitters between the voltage source and the electrical ground. 
     
     
         20 . The LIDAR system of  claim 15 , wherein the ones of the laser emitters within the respective column of the plurality of columns are serially connected anode-to-cathode.