Silicon Photonics (SiP) is an emerging technology that leverages the properties of silicon to manipulate and control light on a chip. It involves the integration of optical components, such as waveguides, modulators, detectors, and multiplexers, with traditional electronic circuits on a silicon substrate.

SiP technologies offer several building blocks that are crucial for sensing applications, including FMCW LiDAR. One of the key advantages of SiP is its ability to integrate multiple optical functions on a single chip, enabling compact and efficient systems. By integrating components such as lasers, modulators, and detectors on a single SiP chip, FMCW LiDAR systems can be miniaturized and become more cost-effective.

For FMCW LiDAR, SiP can provide on-chip integration of crucial components, eliminating the need for bulky and expensive external optics. This integration enhances system reliability, reduces manufacturing complexity, and lowers costs. SiP can also enable advanced modulation schemes and signal processing techniques, improving the perf/cost. SiP also enables disruptive components for other applications (OCI, Gryo)