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US 10,895,671 B1Granted
Diffraction grating with a variable refractive index using ion implantation
AssigneeFacebook Technologies, LLC
InventorsGiuseppe Calafiore, Austin Lane, Matthew E. Colburn, Nihar Ranjan Mohanty
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Abstract
Ion implantation is used to fabricate an optical device having a varying refractive index. The optical device can include a substrate with a material disposed on the substrate. A refractive index of the material is changed by ion implantation. The material can also be etched or imprinted. The optical device can be used in a virtual-reality system or augmented-reality system to provide angular selectivity from a display to a user's eye.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving a substrate having a material disposed on the substrate;
- exposing the material to ion implantation, wherein:
- the ion implantation is non-uniform, and
- the ion implantation forms a varying refractive index in different regions of the material;
- and
- etching or imprinting the material to form structures in the material to create an optical device that includes a plurality of ridges and a plurality of grooves,
- wherein a first ridge of the plurality of ridges in a first region of the optical device and a second ridge of the plurality of ridges in a second region of the optical device have different refractive indices.
4 more elements
An optical device comprising:
- a substrate;
- a material disposed on the substrate;
- a plurality of ridges and a plurality of grooves formed in the material;
- and
- a varying refractive index in the material created by ion implantation,
- wherein a first ridge of the plurality of ridges in a first region of the optical device and a second ridge of the plurality of ridges in a second region of the optical device have different refractive indices.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- an optical source for an augmented-reality display;
- a waveguide;
- an input coupler configured to couple light from the optical source into the waveguide;
- and
- an output coupler configured to couple light out of the waveguide, the output coupler comprising:
- a substrate;
- a material disposed on the substrate, wherein the material has a varying refractive index created by ion implantation;
- and
- a plurality of ridges and a plurality of grooves formed in the material, wherein a first ridge of the plurality of ridges in a first region of the output coupler and a second ridge of the plurality of ridges in a second region of the output coupler have different refractive indices.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.