A LiDAR system having a field of view, the LiDAR system comprising: a laser; a single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800); a multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216); a single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600); an array of optical emitters optically coupled to, and disposed along, the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216); an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view; an optical switching network (104, 1200) coupled, via the single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800) and the single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600), between the laser and the emitters (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of said array of optical emitters; a controller coupled to the optical switching network (104, 1200) and configured to cause the optical switching network (104, 1200) to route light from the laser to a sequence of optical emitters (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters according to a temporal pattern; and an optical receiver coupled to the optical switching network (104, 1200) and configured to receive light reflected from the field of view; wherein: the single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800), the single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600), the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to emit into free space light of a single mode from each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters; and the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to receive from the free space, by each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters, light of a mode different from the single mode and couple the light of the different mode into the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216). a laser; a single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800); a multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216); a single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600); an array of optical emitters optically coupled to, and disposed along, the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216); an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view; an optical switching network (104, 1200) coupled, via the single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800) and the single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600), between the laser and the emitters (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of said array of optical emitters; a controller coupled to the optical switching network (104, 1200) and configured to cause the optical switching network (104, 1200) to route light from the laser to a sequence of optical emitters (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters according to a temporal pattern; and an optical receiver coupled to the optical switching network (104, 1200) and configured to receive light reflected from the field of view; wherein: the single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800), the single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600), the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to emit into free space light of a single mode from each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters; and the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to receive from the free space, by each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters, light of a mode different from the single mode and couple the light of the different mode into the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216). the single-mode optical waveguide (1302, 1500, 1800), the single-mode-multi-mode optical junction (1308, 1400, 1600), the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to emit into free space light of a single mode from each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters; and the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216) and the array of optical emitters are configured to receive from the free space, by each optical emitter (202-210, 1228-1242, 1310, 1504) of the array of optical emitters, light of a mode different from the single mode and couple the light of the different mode into the multi-mode optical waveguide (1304, 1802; 1208-1216).