An apparatus for monitoring mechanical integrity of an eye-safety component of an illuminator is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a sensor, operable to sense a photoacoustic effect in the eye-safety component during operation of the illuminator and to output a signal representative of the sensed photoacoustic effect, and a processor. The processor is operable to: monitor the signal from the sensor; determine if the signal comprises at least one parameter that falls outside of a pre-determined acceptable range, the pre-determined acceptable range being indicative of mechanical integrity of the eye-safety component; and initiate a safety action in response to a determination that the at least one parameter falls outside of the pre-determined acceptable range thereby indicating a loss of mechanical integrity.

An optical assembly includes a substrate; an optical subassembly that is disposed on a region of a surface of the substrate; a housing that is disposed on another region of the surface of the substrate; a first optical element that is disposed on a first support component of the housing; and a second optical element that is disposed on a second support component of the housing. The optical subassembly includes an integrated circuit (IC) driver chip; a redistribution layer (RDL) structure that is disposed on a surface of the IC driver chip, wherein the RDL structure includes a cavity; and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) device disposed on a region of the surface of the RDL structure that is within the cavity of the RDL structure.

According to one embodiment, a light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements each including one or more surface-emitting lasers; and a plurality of detecting elements located on a same substrate as the light-emitting elements. The detecting elements individually detect quantities of output light of the light-emitting elements.

The present disclosure provides an optical member for use in a laser module that includes a surface emitting laser, the optical member being capable of detecting damage (cracking, peeling, and the like), a method for manufacturing the optical member, a laser module including the optical member, and a laser device.

A LIDAR transmitter system comprising an array of laser energy sources, each laser energy source comprising a corresponding photodetector. The laser energy sources are configured to emit laser energy towards a LIDAR target. Each respective photodetector is configured to detect the laser energy emitted by a corresponding energy source of the array.

Packaged light emitter module can provide improved safety features to facilitate sensing the presence of moisture or a mechanical defect such as a crack in a transmissive cover (22) that may result in a safety hazard caused by the emitted light (24) if the defect or other situation is not addressed in a timely manner. Different electrically conductive structures, such as different electrically conductive traces (20, 22), allow monitoring and detection of mechanical defects to be decoupled from monitoring and detection of problems arising from the presence of moisture. The decoupling can allow the respective configuration for each of the electrically conductive structures to be optimized for detection of particular situations that may lead to a safety hazard.

A driver circuit includes a fly capacitor with a first end and a second end. The driver circuit includes a laser diode having an anode and a cathode. The driver circuit is configured to operate in first and second operating states. The anode is coupled to the first end of the fly capacitor. In the first operating state, the cathode is coupled to a first voltage supply node, the first end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a second voltage supply node, and the second end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a first reference terminal. In the second operating state, the cathode is coupled to a second reference terminal and decoupled from the first voltage supply node, the first end of the fly capacitor is decoupled from the second voltage supply node, and the second end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a third reference terminal.

An illumination system (200) includes an illumination device (202); an optical element (206) positioned to receive light (208) from the illumination device (202); a layer (210) of a transparent material disposed on the optical element (206) and positioned to receive light (208) from the illumination device (202); and an interlock circuit (220) configured to measure a resistivity of the layer (210) of transparent material and to control operation of the illumination device (202) based on the measured resistivity.

A laser device includes a laser oscillator configured to emit a laser beam, and an optical unit configured to receive the laser beam and emit the laser beam outside. The optical unit includes: a partially transmissive mirror configured to reflect a part of the laser beam toward the outside and transmit a remaining part of the laser beam; a diffusion plate configured to diffuse the laser beam which has passed through the partially transmissive mirror and deflect the laser beam in a predetermined direction, at a predetermined diffusion angle; and a photodiode configured to receive the laser beam deflected by the diffusion plate, and output an electric signal. The laser device is configured such that deviation of an optical axis of the laser beam is monitored based on the electric signal of the photodiode.

A driver circuit includes a fly capacitor with a first end and a second end. The driver circuit includes a laser diode having an anode and a cathode. The driver circuit is configured to operate in first and second operating states. The anode is coupled to the first end of the fly capacitor. In the first operating state, the cathode is coupled to a first voltage supply node, the first end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a second voltage supply node, and the second end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a first reference terminal. In the second operating state, the cathode is coupled to a second reference terminal and decoupled from the first voltage supply node, the first end of the fly capacitor is decoupled from the second voltage supply node, and the second end of the fly capacitor is coupled to a third reference terminal.