Achieving a chip-scale massively parallelized photonic integrated circuit (PIC) propels Scantinel Photonics closer to its ultimate goal of developing a “single-chip lidar” solution. The photonic chip offers an exceptional combination of high pixel rate and high signal-to-noise ratio, enabling the capture of outstanding high-quality real-life data. This advancement is made possible by the chip's unparalleled level of integration, setting it apart in the world of lidar technology and paving the way for the realization of autonomous driving.

“Automotive solid-state scanning lidar requires the co-integration of detectors, laser and ultralow-loss solid-state scanner on the same CMOS-foundry compatible photonic platform. Scantinel Photonics demonstrates integrated, massively parallelized detector and scanning chip sharing the same photonic platform as our integrated laser,” said Vladimir Davydenko, co-founder of the company.

“The new PIC architecture allows further a full in system calibration leading to significant cost reduction in a volume production environment as it reduces machine investments, fab area and production times,” said Andy Zott, managing director and co-founder of Scantinel.

“This high integration into a single chip lidar gives a significant advantage in cost and size over any existing solutions” adds Dr Michael Richter, managing director of Scantinel Photonics.

The launch of Scantinel Photonics' second-generation PIC represents a significant leap forward in its pursuit of a cost-effective and compact lidar solution for autonomous driving applications.