DISTORTION REDUCING OPTICS

1 . An optical device, comprising:

an emitter array to emit light;

a collimating element to create an image of the light emitted by the emitter array;

a diffractive optical element (DOE) to generate a pattern from the image of the light; and

a distortion correction element to reduce distortion in the pattern on a screen or to shape the pattern on the screen.

2 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the DOE is on a first surface of an optical substrate and the distortion correction element is on a second surface of the optical substrate.

3 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the DOE and the collimating element are on a first surface of an optical substrate and the distortion correction element is on a second surface of the optical substrate.

4 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the distortion correction element is a discrete element.

5 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the distortion correction element has a free-form shape, a radially symmetric shape, or a biconvex shape.

6 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein a phase profile of the distortion correction element is realized with meta-material surfaces, a continuous surface relief profile, a Fresnel profile, a binary surface relief profile, or a multi-level surface relief profile.

7 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a dot projector.

8 . The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device.

9 . A device, comprising:

a collimating element to create an image from light emitted by an emitter array;

a diffractive optical element (DOE) to generate a pattern from the image; and

a distortion correction element to reduce distortion in the pattern or to shape the pattern.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the DOE and the distortion correction element are on opposite surfaces of an optical substrate.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the DOE and the collimating element are combined on a single surface of an optical substrate and the distortion correction element is on another surface of the optical substrate.

12 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the distortion correction element is a discrete element.

13 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the distortion correction element has a free-form shape, a radially symmetric shape, or a biconvex shape.

14 . The device of claim 9 , wherein a phase profile of the distortion correction element is realized with meta-material surfaces, a continuous surface relief profile, a Fresnel profile, a binary surface relief profile, or a multi-level surface relief profile.

15 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the DOE is a tiling DOE, a one-dimensional diffuser, or a two-dimensional diffuser.

16 . A method comprising:

creating an image from light emitted by an emitter array, the light being collimated by a collimating element of an optical device;

generating a pattern from the image, the pattern being generated by a diffractive optical element (DOE) of the optical device; and

manipulating the pattern on a screen, the pattern being manipulated by a distortion correction element of the optical device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein manipulating the pattern comprises reducing distortion in the pattern on the screen.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein manipulating the pattern comprises shaping the pattern on the screen.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the DOE is on a first surface of an optical substrate and the distortion correction element is on a second surface of the optical substrate.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the DOE and the collimating element are on a first surface of an optical substrate and the distortion correction element is on a second surface of the optical substrate.