Polarization multiplexed structured light emitters
A system includes a housing and a light emission source positioned within the housing and including a first light emitter array characterized by a first polarization state and a second light emitter array characterized by a second polarization state. The light emitted by the light emission source is configured to propagate along an optical axis. The system also includes a lens positioned within the housing along the optical axis and a wavefront modification element positioned within the housing along the optical axis. The wavefront modification element comprises a polarization-sensitive diffractive structure.
1 . A system, comprising:
a housing;
a light emission source positioned within the housing and including a first, one-dimensional light emitter array characterized by a first polarization state and a second, two-dimensional light emitter array characterized by a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state, wherein light emitted by the light emission source is configured to propagate along an optical axis;
a lens positioned within the housing along the optical axis; and
a wavefront modification element positioned within the housing along the optical axis, wherein the wavefront modification element comprises a polarization-sensitive diffractive structure.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the polarization-sensitive diffractive structure is configured to generate, in a far field, a first diffraction pattern corresponding to the first, one-dimensional light emitter array and a second diffraction pattern corresponding to the second, two-dimensional light emitter array.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the second, two-dimensional light emitter array is operable to produce a plurality of emissions and the second diffraction pattern comprises a plurality of structured light patterns, wherein each structured light pattern of the plurality of structured light patterns comprises a replica of the plurality of emissions.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first diffraction pattern is arrayed in one direction; and
the second diffraction pattern is distributed in two directions.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a prism, wherein at least one of the lens or the prism are polarization-sensitive.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first, one-dimensional light emitter array comprises vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); and
the second, two-dimensional light emitter array comprises a pseudo-random distribution of VCSELs.
7 . A system, comprising:
a housing;
a polarized light emission source disposed in the housing and operable to emit light along an optical axis, wherein the polarized light emission source includes a plurality of light emitters, wherein a first subset of the plurality of light emitters is arrayed as a first array including a first number of light emitters arrayed in an array direction by an array dimension and characterized by a first polarization state and a second subset of the plurality of light emitters is arrayed as a second array including the first number of light emitters arrayed in the array direction by the array dimension and characterized by a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state, wherein the second array is offset from the first array in the array direction by half of the array dimension; and
a wavefront modification element positioned within the housing along the optical axis, wherein the wavefront modification element comprises a polarization-sensitive diffractive structure configured to generate, in a far field, a first diffraction pattern corresponding to the first subset of the plurality of light emitters and a second diffraction pattern corresponding to the second subset of the plurality of light emitters.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the first subset of the plurality of light emitters; and
the second subset of the plurality of light emitters are operable to be operated independently.
9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the polarization-sensitive diffractive structure implements an imaging lens function.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the polarization-sensitive diffractive structure implements a prism function or further comprising a prism positioned within the housing along the optical axis.
11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the first subset of the plurality of light emitters comprises a first number of light emitters aligned in a direction; and
the first diffraction pattern comprises a plurality of structured light patterns, wherein each structured light pattern of the plurality of structured light patterns comprises a replica of the first number of light emitters.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of structured light patterns are aligned along the direction.
13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first diffraction pattern is focused at a first distance from the wavefront modification element and the second diffraction pattern is focused at a second distance from the wavefront modification element, the first distance being less than the second distance.
14 . A system comprising:
a housing;
a polarized light emission source disposed in the housing and operable to emit light along an optical axis, wherein the polarized light emission source includes a plurality of light emitters, wherein a first subset of the plurality of light emitters is characterized by a first polarization state and a second subset of the plurality of light emitters is characterized by a second polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state; and
a wavefront modification element positioned within the housing along the optical axis, wherein the wavefront modification element comprises a polarization-sensitive diffractive structure configured to generate, in a far field, a first diffraction pattern corresponding to the first subset of the plurality of light emitters and having a first field of irradiation and a second diffraction pattern corresponding to the second subset of the plurality of light emitters and having a second field of irradiation different than the first field of irradiation.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the second field of irradiation is larger than the first field of irradiation and the first field of irradiation is disposed inside the second field of irradiation.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first field of irradiation covers a first area in the far field and the second field of irradiation covers a second area different from the first area in the far field.
17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the first subset of the plurality of light emitters is arrayed as a first array including a predetermined number of light emitters arrayed in an array direction by an array dimension;
the second subset of the plurality of light emitters is arrayed as a second array including the predetermined number of light emitters arrayed in the array direction by the array dimension; and
the second array is offset from the first array in the array direction by half of the array dimension.
18 . The system of claim 14 , the first subset of the plurality of light emitters and the second subset of the plurality of light emitters are operable to be operated independently.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first diffraction pattern or the second diffraction pattern is characterized by a substantially uniform beam profile.
20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the polarization-sensitive diffractive structure implements an imaging lens function and a quarter wave plate;
the first diffraction pattern is characterized by a first elliptical polarization state; and
the second diffraction pattern is characterized by a second elliptical polarization state having a handedness opposite to the first elliptical polarization state.