Nano-structured lens for collimating light from surface emitters

A light source for providing light, comprising:

• a light emitting layer;
• and
• a lens comprising a second layer in close proximity to the light emitting layer and with a periodic structure therein that is periodic along at least one direction in a plane, said structure comprising at least two optically transparent materials of different optical indices, one of said at least two optically transparent materials forming an array of scattering centers arranged in a regular pattern in the second layer, wherein the radiation propagating from the light emitting layer within an angle to a line normal to the plane will be transmitted by the second layer to a far field in an index-guided mode, and near field radiation propagating from the light emitting layer towards the second layer not within said angle to the line will be scattered and redirected by the array of scattering centers in the lens to the far field to thereby collimate the radiation propagating from the light emitting layer to the far field, wherein a collective interference light pattern is formed in the far field by said near field radiation, said pattern created by scattering from the array of scattering centers.

A method for collimating light to a far field, comprising:

• providing a first layer with a periodic structure therein that is periodic along at least one direction in a plane, said structure comprising at least two optically transparent materials of different optical indices, one of said at least two optically transparent materials forming an array of scattering centers arranged in a regular pattern in the first layer;
• and
• propagating radiation towards the first layer from a light source in close proximity to the first layer, so that the radiation propagating within an angle to a line normal to the plane towards the first layer will be transmitted by the first layer to the far field in an index-guided mode, and near field radiation propagating not within said angle to the line towards the first layer will be scattered and redirected by the array of scattering centers in the first layer to the far field to thereby collimate the near field radiation to the far field, said near field radiation forming in the far field a collective interference light pattern.