Broadband beam collimation metasurface for full-color micro-LED displays

Opt Express. 2024 Mar 11;32(6):10252-10264. doi: 10.1364/OE.518535.

Abstract

Near-eye displays are widely recognized as a groundbreaking technological advancement with the potential to significantly impact daily life. Within the realm of near-eye displays, micro-LEDs have emerged as a highly promising technology owing to their exceptional optical performance, compact form factor, and low power consumption. However, a notable challenge in integrating micro-LEDs into near-eye displays is the efficient light collimation across a wide spectrum range. In this paper, we propose what we believe to be a novel design of a broadband beam collimation metasurface for full-color micro-LEDs by harnessing wavefront phase modulation based on Huygens' principle. Our results demonstrate a substantial reduction in the full width at half maximum (FWHM) angles, achieving a reduction to 1/10, 1/10, and 1/20 for red, green, and blue micro-LEDs compared to those without the metasurface, which is the best collimation result as far as we know. The central light intensity increases by 24.60, 36.49, and 42.15 times. Furthermore, the significant enhancement in the light energy within ±10° is achieved, with the respective multiplication factors of 14.16, 15.60, and 13.00. This metasurface has the potential to revolutionize the field by enabling high-performance, compact, and lightweight micro-LED displays, with applications in near-eye displays, micro-projectors, and beyond.