Metasurfaces for augmented and virtual reality (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

Since the development of diffractive optical elements in the 1970s, major research efforts have focused on replacing bulky optical components by thinner, planar counterparts. The more recent advent of nanophotonic metasurfaces has further accelerated the development of flat optical elements through the realization that resonant optical antenna elements can be utilized to facilitate local amplitude and phase control In this presentation, I will show how metasurfaces can start to impact Augmented and Virtual Reality applications. I will first discuss the creation of high-efficiency metasurface-based optical combiners for use in augmented reality devices and near-eye displays. I will also illustrate how guided mode resonance waveguides can be used effectively for tracking the motion of the human eye. The proposed optical elements can be fabricated by scalable fabrication technologies, such as nanoimprint lithography, rolling optical lithography, and direct write optical lithography.