IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,041,713
Granted Patent B2
US 11,041,713 · App. 15/984,831 · Granted Jun 22, 2021

Nanostructured optical element, depth sensor, and electronic device

Inventors: Seunghoon Han (Seoul, KR); Byunghoon Na (Suwon-si, KR); Jangwoo You (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G01B11/22G02B1/002G02B3/0056G02B3/08G02B5/1842G02B27/425H01S5/12H01S5/183H01S5/4025H01S5/423B82Y20/00H01S5/005H01S5/0427
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,041,713
App. No.
15/984,831
Granted
Jun 22, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a nanostructured optical element, a depth sensor, and an electronic device. The nanostructured optical element includes: a light source in which a plurality of laser sources irradiating light are configured as an array; a meta-pattern layer including a plurality of first nano-posts that are two-dimensionally configured while satisfying a sub-wavelength condition, wherein the plurality of first nano-posts are configured to change the light from the light source into structured light; and a deflecting layer between the light source and the meta-pattern layer, and configured to change a proceeding direction of the light to make the light from the light source be incident to the meta-pattern layer.

Claims (35)

1. A nanostructured optical element comprising:

a light source in which a plurality of laser sources radiating light are configured as an array;

a meta-pattern layer including a plurality of two-dimensionally configured first nano-posts satisfying a sub-wavelength condition, the plurality of first nano-posts being configured to change the light from the light source into structured light;

a deflecting layer between the light source and the meta-pattern layer, the deflecting layer being configured to change a proceeding direction of the light to make the light from the light source incident to the meta-pattern layer; and

a peripheral material layer provided directly on the meta-pattern layer opposite to the deflecting layer, the peripheral material layer encapsulating the plurality of first nano-posts,

wherein each of the plurality of first nano-posts has a refractive index that is greater than a refractive index of the peripheral material layer by one (1) or more.

2. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the light source is one of a VCSEL laser, a Fabry-Perot type laser diode, and a distributed feedback (DFB) type laser diode.

3. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the deflecting layer comprises a convex lens or a Fresnel lens.

4. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the deflecting layer comprises a plurality of two-dimensionally configured second nano-posts satisfying the sub-wavelength condition.

5. The nanostructured optical element of claim 4 , further comprising:

a supporting layer between the meta-pattern layer and the deflecting layer,

wherein the meta-pattern layer is on a first surface of the supporting layer, and the deflecting layer is on a second surface of the supporting layer.

6. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the meta-pattern layer further comprises a supporting layer supporting the plurality of first nano-posts, and the meta-pattern layer has a refractive index that is greater than a refractive index of the supporting layer by one (1) or more.

7. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts are configured as a hexagonal lattice or a rectangular lattice.

8. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts have asymmetric forms.

9. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts have multi-layered structures.

10. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts include a metal material.

11. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts are configured so that the structured light that passes through the meta-pattern layer does not overlap with one another in a spatial frequency domain.

12. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first nano-posts are configured so that the structured light that passes through the meta-pattern layer overlaps with other structured light on a spatial frequency domain.

13. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the meta-pattern layer changes the light from the light source into structured light having one-dimensional periodical pattern or structured light having two-dimensional periodical pattern.

14. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein the meta-pattern layer changes the light from the light source into structured light having random pattern.

15. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , further comprising:

an addressing unit configured to independently address the plurality of laser sources configured as an array.

16. A depth sensor comprising:

the nanostructured optical element of claim 1 configured to radiate the structured light to an object;

a light receiving sensor configured to receive the structured light reflected from the object; and

a controller configured to obtain distance information by analyzing the structured light received by the light receiving sensor.

17. An electronic device comprising the nanostructured optical element of claim 1 .

18. A nanostructured optical element comprising:

a light source in which a plurality of laser sources radiating light are configured as an array;

a meta-pattern layer including a plurality of two-dimensionally configured first nano-posts satisfying a sub-wavelength condition, the plurality of first nano-posts being configured to change the light from the light source into structured light; and

a deflecting layer between the light source and the meta-pattern layer, the deflecting layer being configured to change a proceeding direction of the light to make the light from the light source incident to the meta-pattern layer,

wherein the meta-pattern layer further comprises a supporting layer supporting the plurality of first nano-posts, and each of the plurality of first nano-posts has a refractive index that is greater than a refractive index of the supporting layer by one (1) or more.

19. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first nano-posts have different shapes from each other.

20. The nanostructured optical element of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the plurality of first nano-posts have different widths or different heights from each other.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2018
From: HAN, SEUNGHOON; NA, BYUNGHOON; YOU, JANGWOO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 045889/0417 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2017-0103214 · Aug 14, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190049235A1 · Feb 14, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,681,344