Monolithic Structured Light Projector
AssigneeII-Vi Delaware, Inc.
InventorsJean Axel Edmond Teissier, Julien Boucart
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Abstract
A structured light projector for generating a far-field image of light dots in a defined pattern is proposed, where the structured light projector includes a light source providing as an output a non-collimated light beam and a specialized diffractive optical element disposed to intercept the non-collimated light beam. The specialized diffractive optical element is formed to exhibit a non-uniform pattern of grating features configured to compensate for the non-planar wavefront and phase retardation of the non-collimated output beam, providing as an output of the projector an interference pattern of light dots exhibiting the desired configuration.
Claims20
A structured light projector for generating a far-field image of light dots in a defined pattern, comprising:
- a light source providing as an output a non-collimated light beam;
- and
- a specialized diffractive optical element disposed to intercept the non-collimated light beam, the specialized diffractive optical element comprising a non-uniform pattern of a plurality of grating features configured to both compensate for wavefront and phase retardation of the non-collimated beam, and diffract the compensated beam to create as an output an interference pattern of light dots exhibiting the defined pattern.
A method of fabricating a structured light projector comprising the steps of
- a) providing a light source emitting a non-collimated output beam;
- b) analyzing the non-collimated output beam to determine a specific non-planar wavefront and phase retardation associated with the non-collimated output beam;
- and
- c) configuring a plurality of grating features of a specialized diffractive optical element to exhibit a non-uniformity sufficient to compensate for the specific non-planar wavefront and phase retardation, wherein a pattern of the plurality of grating features creates as an output an interference pattern of light dots exhibiting a predefined pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.