Back to results
US 10,591,643 B2Granted
Light-field imaging using a gradient metasurface optical element
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsDianmin Lin, Mark L. Brongersma, Pieter G. Kik, Gordon Wetzstein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of 3D imaging systems that use a multifunctional, nano structured metalens to replace the conventional microlens array in light field imaging are disclosed. The optical focusing properties of the metalenses provided by gradient metasurface optical elements. The gradient metasurfaces allow the properties of the elements of the metalens array to be changed by tuning the gradient metasurfaces.
Claims21
A multiplexed metalens array for a light-field imaging system comprising:
- a multiplexed dielectric gradient metasurface optical element;
- wherein the multiplexed dielectric gradient metasurface optical element comprises a plurality of optical sub-elements that are each a subset of the multiplexed gradient metasurface optical element;
- wherein each optical sub-element is divided into segments that are arranged in a nonperiodic pattern along the surface plane of the multiplexed gradient metasurface optical element such that each sub-element is dispersed and spatially interleaved with the other sub-elements into an integrated array, wherein the arrangement of each sub-element's segments results in a shared effective aperture among the subelements;
- and
- wherein each sub-element is configured to have a unique phase response such that each sub-element has a unique optical axis and focuses light derived from an object onto an image plane at a particular spatial location such that multiple perspectives of the object can be perceived on the image plane.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.