Phlux: Next generation infrared APDs

Vision

Autonomous cars and laser scanning systems have much in common; they rely on the precise detection of infrared light. Our company, Phlux, will introduce a next generation infrared light detector, with five times higher sensitivity than current state-of-the-art. Our proprietary low noise technology will enable autonomous cars to see further with extremely high accuracy and reduce the time of geospatial (environmental) mapping of flood basins, forestry biomass, and coastal erosion mapping from months to days. Our technology could also provide superfast and ultra-secured optical communication and super-resolution imaging in the future.

Innovation

The connection is LIDAR, a widely used range measurement technique. The light detector is the key component of LIDAR that enables it to "see" an object. Our novel detectors can detect infrared light with virtually noiseless gain, as large as 50 (5 times higher than currently available technology and with lower noise).

By far the largest identified opportunity for our technology is in autonomous vehicles (AVs) where LIDAR systems provide the eyes. Despite all of the vision systems in demonstration AVs cannot see well enough, in adverse weather such as fog and rain, to enable the full potential of driverless car revolution. Phlux's ultra sensitive detectors working in the infrared can largely eliminate this problem.

Focus and Objectives

This project will translate Phlux's technology from lab demonstrator to enabling components in LIDAR systems, ready for deployment.

This project's main aims are:

* Prototype development to support customer engagement
* Building a supply chain to support the anticipated market volumes of 3.1M units/yr by 2024
* De-risk the technology to secure additional £750k of private investment in Q1 of 2021

Phlux will develop prototype devices meeting requirement specifications provided by several major players. Working with partners in the field, these devices will be trialled in real systems. Our central objective is to achieve a level of system demonstration and overall risk reduction that can attract the large scale funding needed to achieve the required level of business growth.

Phlux has the technology to transform LIDAR performance. With a low switching cost for OEMs, we expect rapid adoption and acceleration of product development, enabling us to commercialise this exciting new technology.