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US 12,389,700 B2Granted
Aperture-metasurface and hybrid refractive-metasurface imaging systems
AssigneeMetalenz, Inc.
InventorsRobert C. Devlin, John Graff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Hybrid imaging systems incorporating conventional optical elements and metasurface elements with light sources and/or detectors, and methods of the manufacture and operation of such optical arrangements are provided. Systems and methods describe the integration of apertures with metasurface elements and refractive optics with metasurface elements in illumination sources and sensors.
Claims18
An imaging system comprising:
- at least one image sensor;
- a substrate layer having a substrate thickness disposed above the at least one image sensor by a first distance, wherein the substrate layer:
- is configured to be transparent to a target wavelength of light;
- and
- has a first surface distal the at least one image sensor and a second surface proximal the at least one image sensor;
- an aperture disposed on the first surface of the substrate layer and having an aperture opening disposed therein;
- and
- a single layer of a plurality of identical or unique nanostructured elements comprising a metasurface disposed on the second surface, wherein:
- light impinging on the aperture opening passes through at least a portion of the metasurface such that a specified angular deflection is imposed thereby;
- the metasurface is separated from the at least one image sensor by the first distance;
- the aperture and the metasurface are separated by a second distance which is the substrate thickness;
- a combination of the second distance and the first distance is configured to:
- gather light of a specified operational bandwidth across a specified field of view, and
- shift incoming light such that it comes to a focus on the at least one image sensor at a zero or near-zero degree chief ray angle;
- and
- a given image sensor of the at least one image sensor and the metasurface each comprise rectangular geometries in plan view.
13 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- at least one image sensor;
- a substrate layer having a substrate thickness, the substrate layer configured to be transparent to a target wavelength of light, the substrate layer having a first surface distal the at least one image sensor and a second surface proximal with the at least one image sensor;
- an aperture disposed above the substrate layer and having an aperture opening disposed therein;
- and
- a single layer of a plurality of identical or unique nanostructured elements comprising a metasurface disposed on one of either the first surface or the second surface, wherein:
- light impinging on the aperture opening passes through at least a portion of the metasurface such that a specified angular deflection is imposed thereby;
- the metasurface is separated from the at least one image sensor by a first distance;
- the aperture and the metasurface are separated by a second distance;
- a combination of the second distance and the first distance is configured to:
- gather light of a specified operational bandwidth across a specified field of view;
- and
- shift incoming light such that it focuses on the at least one image sensor at a zero or near-zero degree chief ray angle;
- and
- a given image sensor of the at least one image sensor and the metasurface each comprise rectangular geometries in plan view.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.