Photonic integrated circuit, light detection and ranging system and method for operating the same

A light detection and ranging system, comprising

• a semiconductor photonic substrate having integrated therein:
• at least one light receiving input;
• at least one optical splitter to branch light received at the at least one light receiving input to a first light path and a second light path;
• wherein the first light path comprises:
• at least one first amplifier structure to amplify the light in the first light path to provide first amplified light;
• at least one first light output to output the first amplified light from the at least one first amplifier structure;
• and
• at least one first photo detector to receive light from the outside of a photonic integrated circuit, the at least one first photo detector being located next to the at least one first light output;
• wherein the second light path comprises:
• at least one second amplifier structure to amplify the light in the second light path to provide second amplified light;
• at least one second light output to output the second amplified light from the at least one second amplifier structure;
• and
• at least one second photo detector to receive light from the outside of the photonic integrated circuit, the at least one second photo detector being located next to the at least one second light output;
• at least one electromagnetic radiation source coupled to the at least one light receiving input and configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation;
• and
• a grating structure optically arranged to guide light from the output of the plurality of the light paths to the outside of the light detection and ranging system and from the outside of the light detection and ranging system to a plurality of optical photo detectors.

A vehicle comprising a light detection and ranging system,

• the light detection and ranging system comprising:
• a semiconductor photonic substrate having integrated therein:
• at least one light receiving input;
• at least one optical splitter to branch light received at the at least one light receiving input to a first light path and a second light path;
• wherein the first light path of the semiconductor photonic substrate comprises:
• at least one first amplifier structure to amplify the light in the first light path to provide first amplified light;
• at least one first light output to output the first amplified light from the at least one first amplifier structure;
• and
• at least one first photo detector to receive light from the outside of a photonic integrated circuit, the at least one first photo detector being located next to the at least one first light output;
• wherein the second light path of the semiconductor photonic substrate comprises:
• at least one second amplifier structure to amplify the light in the second light path to provide second amplified light;
• at least one second light output to output the second amplified light from the at least one second amplifier structure;
• and
• at least one second photo detector to receive light from the outside of the photonic integrated circuit, the at least one second photo detector being located next to the at least one second light output;
• at least one electromagnetic radiation source coupled to the at least one light receiving input and configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation;
• and
• a grating structure optically arranged to guide light from the output of the plurality of the light paths to the outside of the light detection and ranging system and from the outside of the light detection and ranging system to a plurality of optical photo detectors.