Integral imaging near-eye 3D display using a nanoimprint metalens array

Integral imaging near-eye 3D display using a nanoimprint metalens array

2024 | Zhi-Bin Fan, Yun-Fan Cheng, Ze-Ming Chen, Xia Liu, Wen-Long Lu, Shi-Hao Li, Shao-Ji Jiang, Zong Qin and Jian-Wen Dong
This research presents a novel near-eye 3D display (NED) based on integral imaging (II) using a commercial micro-display and a large-area metalens array. The metalens array is fabricated using nanoimprint technology, which enables high-refractive-index material and large-area production. A new real-time rendering algorithm is proposed to generate the elemental image array (EIA), overcoming the computational complexity of traditional methods. The system achieves an average frame rate of 67 FPS, supporting real-time rendering. A see-through augmented reality (AR) prototype is built, demonstrating the feasibility of the meta-II display for AR applications. The system uses a beam splitter to merge 3D virtual images with the real environment, providing a seamless user experience. The meta-II display module is lightweight (7.23 g) and capable of producing true-3D images with motion parallax and monocular focus cues. The metalens array is designed with a refractive index of 1.9 and a thickness of 500 nm, achieving a high-quality optical performance. The system's resolution, depth of field, and angular resolution are validated through simulations and experiments. The meta-II display shows potential for future virtual and augmented reality applications due to its compact size, high resolution, and real-time rendering capabilities. The research also addresses challenges in nano-device fabrication and algorithm development, offering a promising solution for practical video-rate meta-II displays.This research presents a novel near-eye 3D display (NED) based on integral imaging (II) using a commercial micro-display and a large-area metalens array. The metalens array is fabricated using nanoimprint technology, which enables high-refractive-index material and large-area production. A new real-time rendering algorithm is proposed to generate the elemental image array (EIA), overcoming the computational complexity of traditional methods. The system achieves an average frame rate of 67 FPS, supporting real-time rendering. A see-through augmented reality (AR) prototype is built, demonstrating the feasibility of the meta-II display for AR applications. The system uses a beam splitter to merge 3D virtual images with the real environment, providing a seamless user experience. The meta-II display module is lightweight (7.23 g) and capable of producing true-3D images with motion parallax and monocular focus cues. The metalens array is designed with a refractive index of 1.9 and a thickness of 500 nm, achieving a high-quality optical performance. The system's resolution, depth of field, and angular resolution are validated through simulations and experiments. The meta-II display shows potential for future virtual and augmented reality applications due to its compact size, high resolution, and real-time rendering capabilities. The research also addresses challenges in nano-device fabrication and algorithm development, offering a promising solution for practical video-rate meta-II displays.
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