Single element dot pattern projector
AssigneeMetalenz, Inc.
InventorsRobert C. Devlin, Pawel Latawiec, John Graff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are single element dot pattern projectors with a meta-optics. The projectors include a laser light source and a metasurface chip integrated onto the laser light source. The metasurface chip includes metasurface elements spaced apart from the laser light source by a distance equal to the collimating function focal length of the metasurface chip. the laser light source produces light which is diffracted through the metasurface elements to produce a dot pattern. Projectors enabled by meta-optics lead to unique methods of integrating the meta-optic and unique functionality that can be added to the dot pattern.
Claims19
A single element dot pattern projector comprising:
- a laser light source;
- and
- a metasurface chip integrated onto the laser light source, wherein the metasurface chip includes metasurface elements spaced apart from the laser light source by a distance equal to a back focal length of the metasurface chip, and wherein the laser light source produces light which is diffracted through the metasurface elements to produce a dot pattern;
- wherein the metasurface chip has dimensions that satisfy the following equations:
- MSx
- =
- VCSELx
- +
- 2
- *
- A
- +
- B
- ;
- and
-
- A
- =
- C
- *
- tan
-
- (
- θ
- 2
- )
- ,
- wherein B is the alignment tolerance of the metasurface chip, and θ is the full angle where the laser light source power falls to less than 0.5% of the total power, and wherein MSx is the width of the active area of the metasurface chip in the x direction, VCSELx is the width of the laser light source in the x direction, A is the estimated size of the laser light source beam beyond the VCSELx in the x direction, and C is a gap size between the laser light source and the metasurface chip which is equal to the back focal length of the metasurface chip.
A method of forming a dot pattern with a laser light source, the method comprising:
- providing the laser light source integrated into a chip;
- providing a metasurface chip including metasurface elements;
- integrating the laser light source chip with the metasurface chip such that the metasurface elements are spaced apart from the laser light source by a distance equal to a back focal length of the metasurface chip;
- and
- producing light from the laser light source which is diffracted through the metasurface elements to produce the dot pattern;
- wherein the metasurface chip has dimensions that satisfy the following equations:
- MSx
- =
- VCSELx
- +
- 2
- *
- A
- +
- B
- ;
- and
-
- A
- =
- C
- *
- tan
-
- (
- θ
- 2
- )
- ,
- wherein B is the alignment tolerance of the metasurface chip, and θ is the full angle where the laser light source power falls to less than 0.5% of the total power, and
- wherein MSx is the width of the active area of the metasurface chip in the x direction, VCSELx is the width of the laser light source in the x direction, A is the estimated size of the laser light source beam beyond the VCSELx in the x direction, and C is a gap size between the laser light source and the metasurface chip which is equal to the back focal length of the metasurface chip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.