Pixelized optical component with nanowalls
View Patent ↗An optical component comprises a transparent network of cells juxtaposed and separated by walls parallel to a surface of the component, each cell being hermetically sealed and comprising at least one substance with an optical property, and all or part of the surface of said component comprises walls less than 100 nm thick. The optical component is thus pixelized by a cell network, the cells being separated by walls which may themselves be pixelized. Such an optical component is particularly useful for making optical elements such as ophthalmic lenses.
1. Transparent optical component, comprising at least one transparent network of cells extending parallel to a surface of the component, the cells juxtaposed and separated by walls extending perpendicular to a surface of the component,
each cell being hermetically sealed and including at least one substance with an optical property,
at least some of said component including walls which are less than 100 nm thick as measured in a direction parallel to the component surface, and
at least one cell of the cell network includes one or more spacers extending perpendicular to the surface of said component, each spacer having a height of between 0.1 μm and 10 μm.
2. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which all the walls of the cell network are less than 100 nm thick.
3. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which part of the walls of the cell network is less than 100 nm thick, and part of the walls of said cell network is between 0.10 μm and 5 μm thick.
4. Optical component according to claim 3 , in which the walls of the cell network which are more than 100 nm thick themselves include a network of walls less than 100 nm thick.
5. Optical component according to claim 4 , in which said wall network is arranged in a tetragonal or hexagonal lattice.
6. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which all or part of the cells have a finite geometric shape of hexagonal or tetragonal type.
7. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which all or part of the cells have a non-uniform geometric shape.
8. Optical component according to claim 4 , in which the walls of the cell network including walls of the wall network have a height, perpendicular to the surface of the optical component, of between 0.1 μm and 10 μm.
9. Optical component according to claim 1 , comprising a rigid transparent support on which the cell network is formed.
10. Optical component according to claim 1 , comprising a rigid transparent support on which a transparent film incorporating the cell network is transferred.
11. Optical component according to claim 9 , in which the rigid transparent support is selected from convex, concave and plane, on the side receiving the cell network.
12. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the substance with an optical property contained in at least some of the cells is in liquid or gel form.
13. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the optical property is selected from a property of tinting, photochromism, polarization, refractive index.
14. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the set of cells has a fill factor of between 90% and 99.5% inclusive parallel to said component surface.
15. Optical component according to claim 14 , in which the fill factor is between 98% and 99.5%.
16. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which each spacer is less than 5 μm thick.
17. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the spacer is absorbing.
18. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the spacer and the walls of the cell network are made from the same material.
19. Optical component according to claim 1 , in which the spacer is an added-on element arranged in the cell.
20. Use of a transparent optical component according to claim 1 in the fabrication of a transparent optical element selected from ophthalmic lenses, contact lenses, ocular implants, lenses for optical instruments, filters, optical sighting lenses, ocular visors, and optics of lighting devices.
21. Spectacle lens, made by cutting out an optical component according to claim 1 .
22. Spectacle lens according to claim 21 , in which at least one hole is drilled through the component to fasten the lens to a frame.