IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,212,853
Granted Patent B2
US 12,212,853 · App. 17/209,496 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Ultra-wide field-of-view flat optics

Inventors: Juejun Hu (Newton, MA); Tian Gu (Fairfax, VA); Mikhail Shalaginov (Somerville, MA)
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
H04N23/698G02B1/002G02B13/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,212,853
App. No.
17/209,496
Granted
Jan 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Wide-angle optical functionality is beneficial for imaging and image projection devices. Conventionally, wide-angle operation is attained by a complicated assembly of optical elements. Recent advances have led to meta-surface lenses or meta-lenses, which are ultra-thin planar lenses with nanoantennas that control the phase, amplitude, and/or polarization of light. Here, we present a meta-lens capable of diffraction-limited focusing and imaging over an unprecedented >170° angular field of view (FOV). The lens is integrated on a one-piece flat substrate and includes an aperture on one side and a single meta-surface on the other side. The meta-surface corrects third-order Seidel aberrations, including coma, astigmatism, and field curvature. The meta-lens has a planar focal plane, which enables considerably simplified system architectures for imaging and projection. The meta-lens design is generic and can be readily adapted to different meta-atom geometries and wavelength ranges to meet diverse application demands.

Claims (54)

1. An optical component comprising:

a substrate;

an opaque layer on a first side of the substrate, the opaque layer defining an aperture to refract visible to infrared light; and

a meta-surface, on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, to focus the visible to infrared light refracted by the aperture through the substrate to a planar focal plane.

2. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is planar.

3. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is curved.

4. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a thickness t sub t sub and a refractive index at a wavelength of the visible to infrared light of n sub n sub , the aperture has a diameter of D in D in , and the meta-surface has a diameter D meta =D in =2t sub tan[sin −1 (1/n sub )].

5. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the aperture has a field of view of at least 170°.

6. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the planar focal plane is parallel to the second side of the substrate and the meta-surface is configured to focus the visible to infrared light incident over all of a field of view to the planar focal plane.

7. The optical component of claim 6 , further comprising:

a detector array, in the planar focal plane, to detect the visible to infrared light focused by the meta-surface.

8. The optical component of claim 1 , wherein the meta-surface is configured to focus the light incident over all of a field of view of the aperture with a Strehl ratio of at least 80%.

9. An optical component comprising:

a substrate;

an opaque layer on a first side of the substrate, the opaque layer defining an aperture to transmit light;

a meta-surface, on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, to focus the light transmitted by the aperture through the substrate to a planar focal plane, wherein the planar focal plane is parallel to the second side of the substrate and the meta-surface is configured to focus the light incident over all of a field of view to the planar focal plane; and

a light source array in the planar focal plane,

wherein the meta-surface is configured to collimate a beam emitted by the light source array and the aperture is configured to emit the beam.

10. The optical component of claim 9 , wherein the meta-surface and/or the aperture are further configured to modulate the beam emitted by the light source array.

11. The optical component of claim 9 , wherein the meta-surface is a first meta-surface, and further comprising:

a second meta-surface, disposed in at least a portion of the aperture, to modulate and/or filter the light transmitted by the aperture.

12. The optical component of claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a thickness t sub and a refractive index at a wavelength of the light of n sub , the aperture has a diameter of D in , and the meta-surface has a diameter D meta =D in +t sub tan[sin −1 (1/n sub )].

13. The optical component of claim 9 , wherein the field of view is at least 170°.

14. An optical component comprising:

a substrate;

an opaque layer on a first side of the substrate, the opaque layer defining an aperture to transmit light;

a first meta-surface, disposed in at least a portion of the aperture, to modulate and/or filter the light transmitted by the aperture, wherein the first meta-surface is configured to modulate the light transmitted by the aperture with a spatial modulation pattern that depends on an angle of incidence of the light transmitted by the aperture; and

a second meta-surface, on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, to focus the light transmitted by the aperture through the substrate to a planar focal plane, wherein the planar focal plane is parallel to the second side of the substrate and the second meta-surface is configured to focus the light incident over all of a field of view to the planar focal plane.

15. The optical component of claim 14 , wherein the substrate has a thickness t sub and a refractive index at a wavelength of the light of n sub , the aperture has a diameter of D in , and the second meta-surface has a diameter D meta =D in +t sub tan[sin −1 (1/n sub )].

16. The optical component of claim 14 , wherein the field of view is at least 170°.

17. A method comprising:

refracting visible to infrared light through an aperture formed on a first side of a substrate; and

focusing the visible to infrared light to a planar focal plane with a meta-surface on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein refracting the visible to infrared light is over a field of view of at least 170°.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

detecting the visible to infrared light focused by the meta-surface with a detector array in the planar focal plane.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the planar focal plane is parallel to the second side of the substrate and focusing the visible to infrared light comprises focusing the visible to infrared light incident over all of a field of view of the aperture to the planar focal plane.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein focusing the light comprises focusing the light incident over all of a field of view of the aperture with a Strehl ratio of at least 80%.

22. A method comprising:

transmitting light through an aperture formed on a first side of a substrate;

focusing the light to a planar focal plane with a meta-surface on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, wherein the planar focal plane is parallel to the second side of the substrate and focusing the light comprises focusing the light incident over all of a field of view of the aperture to the planar focal plane;

collimating a beam emitted by a light source in the planar focal plane with the meta-surface; and

emitting the beam through the aperture.

23. A method comprising:

transmitting light through an aperture formed on a first side of a substrate;

focusing the light to a planar focal plane with a meta-surface on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side; and

modulating, based on an angle of incidence of the light transmitted by the aperture, at least of a phase, an amplitude, a polarization, or a wavelength of and/or filtering the light transmitted by the aperture with another meta-surface disposed in at least a portion of the aperture.

24. An optical component comprising:

a substrate;

a first meta-surface on a first side of the substrate to reshape or modulate light incident on the first side of the substrate at different angles; and

a second meta-surface, on a second side of the substrate opposite the first side, to modulate an angle of incidence, a phase, an amplitude, a polarization, and/or a spectral property of the light reshaped, modulated, and/or transmitted by the first meta-surface.

25. The optical component of claim 24 , wherein the first meta-surface is configured to modulate the light as a function of a phase, an amplitude, an angle of incidence, a polarization, and/or a spectral property of the light.

26. The optical component of claim 24 , where the optical component is immersed in another material.

27. The optical component of claim 24 , wherein the first meta-surface is configured to modulate the light incident on the first side of the substrate with a spatial modulation pattern that depends on an angle of incidence of the light.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 21, 2021
From: HU, JUEJUN; GU, TIAN; SHALAGINOV, MIKHAIL
To: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 055993/0255 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16894945 · Jun 8, 2020
Provisional Application 62897452 · Sep 9, 2019
Provisional Application 62884645 · Aug 8, 2019
Related Publication 20210306564A1 · Sep 30, 2021
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