Frequency modulated continuous wave LiDAR with expanded field-of-view based on polarization-splitting metasurface

Abstract

Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has recently become a research hotspot in the fields of autonomous driving and intelligent perception due to its high-precision ranging and velocity measurement capabilities. However, the existing LiDAR systems are usually challenged in expanding the field-of-view (FOV), which often comes at the expense of beam quality and degrades the detection accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio. On the other hand, the complexity of data processing algorithms may introduce significant measurement inaccuracies, potentially leading to substantial deviations in the final results. These two constraints limit the performance of LiDAR in complex scenarios. To address these issues, this paper proposes a new architecture for FMCW LiDAR that employs a geometric metasurface as a polarization splitter for expanded FOV of beam steering. With the combination of mechanical scanning mirror and metasurface, the scanning FOV has been successfully enlarged from 64° × 20° to 64° × 40°. Simultaneously, millimeter-level precision was achieved in distance measurement, along with an average relative error of 9 mm/s in velocity measurement, which confirms stable and precise system performance. This approach not only broadens the scanning range but also preserves the measurement accuracy of FMCW technology. This paper innovatively combines polarization beam-splitting metasurface with FMCW technology to achieve high-precision measurement over a wide field of view, providing a promising new technical pathway for the technological evolution of future LiDAR systems.