Shallow-etched slot engineering for an angle-controlled and a low-divergence emission in edge-emitting lasers for LiDARs

A methodical study of a LiDAR light source based on microstructured edge-emitting lasers intended for controlled beam steering in integrated photonic systems is presented in this paper. Periodic shallow slot structures are incorporated into the laser ridge to enable directional emission while preserving beam quality. The proposed device is particularly adequate for compact, solid-state LiDAR and other integrated photonic sensing applications demanding exact angular control since the given microstructure geometry successfully strikes a balance between optical extraction efficiency and low divergence. The results reveal a significant reduction in divergence angle from 2.8° down to 0.84° as the grating period increases, demonstrating enhanced beam collimation and directionality that enables precise beam steering across a wide angular range. This capability makes the design highly suitable for compact, efficient on-chip LiDAR systems, offering a promising solution for integrated photonic sensing applications requiring precise directional emission.