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An international research team, in which the Photonics Research Labs-iTEAM of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) participates, has developed a new technology that helps to improve the accuracy of radar applications and LiDAR systems. Among its possible uses, it could contribute to implementing autonomous cars and optimise environmental monitoring. The Semiconductor Institute (CAS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China's Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT), the Air Force Early Warning Academy (Wuhan, China) and the University of Ottawa (Canada) have also participated in its development.

In the study published in the journal Nature Communications, the team of researchers from Spain, China, and Canada presents a time-symmetry concept called parity-time (PT) symmetry, which is applied to frequency-swept systems. Their proposal makes it possible to reduce the linewidth of the generated waves by up to 14 times, thus obtaining more stable and precise signals than those obtained with conventional systems.

Autonomous transport, environmental monitoring

One of the areas where this technology can have an immediate impact is autonomous transport. 'LiDAR systems are essential for navigation and obstacle detection in these vehicles. With our technology, by increasing their precision, they will be able to identify and respond to their environment more quickly and accurately, which would contribute to their development and implementation on a global scale,' says José Capmany, director of UPV's Photonics Research Labs-iTEAM and co-author of the study.

In addition, the technology developed by the team from the UPV, BUPT, the CAS Institute, the Air Force Early Warning Academy and the University of Ottawa will also improve environmental surveillance and monitoring.

'These advanced radar systems will help to conduct more detailed studies of the environment and respond more efficiently to environmental emergencies. It will facilitate the tracking of moving objects and the detection and monitoring of environmental changes, such as weather patterns or wildlife tracking in hard-to-reach areas,' explains Ming Li of the Beijing Semiconductor Institute.

University Security and communications

Another advantage of this system is that it allows much more accurate discrimination of targets at different distances. ‘This is especially useful for surveillance applications, where high accuracy is required in identifying and tracking multiple objects simultaneously,’ adds Ming Li.

And in the communications field, it would help improve interference-free data transmission. 'Reduced linewidth radar and LiDAR systems can be integrated into advanced communication infrastructures, where signal stability and accuracy are essential to avoid any kind of transmission interference. And this is what we achieve with our technology,’ concludes Jose Capmany.

Reference

Li, M., Hao, T., Li, G. et al. Time-variant parity-time symmetry in frequency-scanning systems. Nat Commun 15, 8710 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52958-3