University of Rochester

Daniel Nikolov

Aaron Bauer

Nick Vamivakas

Fei Cheng

Jannick P Rolland

Jannick P Rolland-Thompson

A see-through reflective optical device includes: a reflective metasurface configured for a targeted design optical wavelength, wherein the reflective metasurface comprises a sub-wavelength periodic arrangement of meta-atoms formed by patterned isolated gap surface plasmon (GSP) resonators, where the patterned isolated GSP resonators comprise a patterned optically thin metal layer for the design wavelength, an optically thick metal layer for the design wavelength, and an insulator layer between the patterned optically thin metal layer and the optically thick metal layer; and an array of apertures of random positions and diameters greater than the targeted design wavelength formed through the reflective metasurface providing a designed percentage of light transparency through the reflective metasurface. The reflective metasurface of the see-through reflective optical device may comprise, e.g., a reflective diffraction grating metasurface, and may be used as a combiner element surface in a near eye display assembly.

See-through reflective metasurface

A near eye display assembly includes (a) frame; (b) a combiner operably connected to the frame as a first reflective surface positionable in front of an eye of a user of the display assembly; (c) a secondary mirror operably connected to the frame as a second reflective surface positionable proximate a side of the nose adjacent to the eye of a user of the display assembly; (d) an image source operably connected to the frame and optically coupled to the secondary mirror along an optical path; and (e) an optical fold element between the image source and the secondary mirror in the optical path, and positionable proximate the temple adjacent to the eye of a user of the display assembly; wherein an intermediate image is formed in the optical path between the image source and the secondary mirror, wherein the combiner and the secondary mirror are in an off-axis folded geometry which directs images from the optical fold element to an eyebox of the near eye display assembly, and at least one of the combiner and the secondary mirror include a freeform surface, wherein the freeform component corrects optical aberrations induced by a tilting and decentering of the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface, and wherein at least the combiner includes a nanostructured meta-surface which further provides wavefront control of an image from the image source to be directed to the eyebox and enables the combiner to be positioned at a tilt angle so that unobscured images are conveyable between the optical fold element and the secondary mirror while providing an FOV of at least 30 degrees and an eyebox width of at least 5 mm.

Augmented reality display

A mechanically tunable reflective metamirror optical device for a targeted design optical wavelength includes a dynamically deformable substrate and a sub-wavelength periodic arrangement of patterned isolated gap surface plasmon (GSP) resonators positioned in or on the dynamically deformable substrate. The patterned isolated GSP resonators are movable relative to each other and comprise a patterned optically thin metal layer for the design wavelength, a patterned optically thick metal layer for the design wavelength, and a patterned insulator layer between the patterned optically thin and optically thick metal layers.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Daniel Nikolov