Optical device and optical method

Abstract

An optical device includes a first metamaterial lens element, a second metamaterial lens element, an organic light emitting diode layer, an infrared sensor layer, a circuit layer, and a substrate. The organic light emitting diode layer is adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element. The infrared sensor layer is adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element. The circuit layer may carry the organic light emitting diode layer and the infrared sensor layer. The substrate can carry the circuit layer. The organic light-emitting diode layer can be used for generating visible light, wherein the visible light is transmitted out through the first metamaterial lens element. The infrared sensor layer can be used for receiving infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical device, and more particularly to an optical device and an optical method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In the field of optics, conventional optical materials often face a trade-off between refractive index and dispersion. However, optical materials with low refractive index can easily limit the performance of related optical devices and may also increase the overall device size. Therefore, a new solution is necessary to overcome the difficulties faced by previous technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an optical device comprising: a first metamaterial lens element; a second metamaterial lens element; an organic light-emitting diode layer adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element; an infrared sensor layer adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element; a circuit layer supporting the organic light-emitting diode layer and the infrared sensor layer; and a substrate supporting the circuit layer; wherein the organic light-emitting diode layer is configured to generate visible light, which is transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element; and wherein the infrared sensor layer is configured to receive infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element.

[0004] In some embodiments, the first metamaterial lens element and the second metamaterial lens element have different periodic structures.

[0005] In some embodiments, the first metamaterial lens element is configured to provide a first refractive index to the visible light.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first refractive index is greater than 1.

[0007] In some embodiments, the second metamaterial lens element is configured to provide a second refractive index to the infrared light.

[0008] In some embodiments, the second refractive index is less than 1.

[0009] In some embodiments, the optical device is a head mounted display (HMD).

[0010] In some embodiments, the optical device further includes: an infrared light source emitting an incident light toward one eyeball, wherein the infrared light is equivalent to a reflected light from the eyeball.

[0011] In some embodiments, if the incident light has a left circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a right circular polarization characteristic.

[0012] In some embodiments, if the incident light has a right circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a left circular polarization characteristic.

[0013] In some embodiments, the optical device supports eye tracking functionality.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second metamaterial lens element can only be used to receive either the infrared light with a left circular polarization characteristic or the infrared light with a right circular polarization characteristic.

[0015] In another preferred embodiment, the present invention provides an optical method comprising the following steps: providing a first metamaterial lens element, a second metamaterial lens element, an organic light-emitting diode layer, and an infrared sensor layer, wherein the organic light-emitting diode layer is adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element, and the infrared sensor layer is adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element; generating visible light through the organic light-emitting diode layer, wherein the visible light is transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element; and receiving infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element via the infrared sensor layer.

[0016] In some embodiments, the optical method further includes providing a first refractive index to the visible light through the first metamaterial lens element.

[0017] In some embodiments, the optical method further includes providing a second refractive index to the infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element.

[0018] In some embodiments, the optical method further includes: emitting an incident light toward an eyeball via an infrared light source, wherein the infrared light is equivalent to a reflected light from the eyeball.

[0019] In some embodiments, the optical method further includes: receiving, through the second metamaterial lens element, either the infrared light having a left circular polarization characteristic or the infrared light having a right circular polarization characteristic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an optical device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A flowchart of an optical method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] Explanation of symbols:

[0024] 100,200: Optical device

[0025] 110: First metamaterial lens element

[0026] 120: Second metamaterial lens element

[0027] 130: organic light emitting diode layer

[0028] 140: Infrared sensor layer

[0029] 150: Circuit layer

[0030] 160:Substrate

[0031] 270: Infrared light source

[0032] E: Eyeball

[0033] N1: first refractive index

[0034] N2: Second refractive index

[0035] S310, S320, S330: Steps

[0036] SF: Infrared light

[0037] SI: Incident light

[0038] SR: reflected light

[0039] ST: Visible light DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] In order to make the objects, features and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, specific embodiments of the present invention are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] Certain terms are used throughout the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different terms to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in their functionality. The terms "including" and "comprising" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as meaning "including, but not limited to." The term "substantially" means that within an acceptable range of error, a person skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and achieve the basic technical effect. Furthermore, the term "coupled" in this specification includes any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Therefore, if a first device is described as being coupled to a second device, this means that the first device can be directly electrically connected to the second device or indirectly electrically connected to the second device via other devices or connection means.

[0042] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing the different features of the present invention. The following disclosure describes specific examples of various components and their arrangements to simplify the description. Of course, these specific examples are not intended to be limiting. For example, if the present disclosure describes a first feature formed on or above a second feature, it means that it may include an embodiment in which the first feature and the second feature are in direct contact, and may also include an embodiment in which an additional feature is formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, the different examples disclosed below may reuse the same reference symbols or (and) marks. These repetitions are for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and are not intended to limit the specific relationship between the different embodiments or (and) structures discussed.

[0043] Additionally, spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "lower," "above," "upper," and similar terms are used to facilitate describing the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature in the accompanying drawings. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the accompanying drawings. The device may be rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations, and the spatially relative terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

[0044] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an optical device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The optical device 100 can be applied to a mobile device, such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a notebook computer. Figure 1 As shown, the optical device 100 includes: a first metamaterial lens element 110, a second metamaterial lens element 120, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer 130, an infrared (IR) sensor layer 140, a circuit layer 150, and a substrate 160. It should be understood that although not shown in FIG. Figure 1 However, the optical device 100 may further include other components, such as a processor, a battery element, or (and) a housing.

[0045] The shapes and types of the first metamaterial lens element 110 and the second metamaterial lens element 120 are not particularly limited in the present invention. The first metamaterial lens element 110 has a first periodic structure, while the second metamaterial lens element 120 has a second periodic structure. For example, the first periodic structure of the first metamaterial lens element 110 may include a plurality of first dielectric units and a plurality of second dielectric units (not shown), wherein the first dielectric units and the second dielectric units may be arranged in an alternating pattern. Furthermore, the second periodic structure of the second metamaterial lens element 120 may include a plurality of third dielectric units and a plurality of fourth dielectric units, wherein the third dielectric units and the fourth dielectric units may also be arranged in an alternating pattern.

[0046] The first metamaterial lens element 110 and the second metamaterial lens element 120 may together form a spatial superstrate of the optical device 100. It should be noted that the first periodic structure of the first metamaterial lens element 110 may differ from the second periodic structure of the second metamaterial lens element 120. In some embodiments, the thickness of the first periodic structure of the first metamaterial lens element 110 may be between 50 nm and 150 nm, and the spacing between any adjacent first dielectric units may be between 100 nm and 350 nm. In some embodiments, the thickness of the second periodic structure of the second metamaterial lens element 120 may be between 100 nm and 400 nm, and the spacing between any adjacent third dielectric units may be between 500 nm and 1000 nm. For example, the second periodic structure of the second metamaterial lens element 120 may be considered a circularly polarized resonator structure, which can be used to transmit infrared light of a specific circularly polarized mode. In addition, the circularly polarized resonator structure can also be classified as an asymmetric structure, thereby being different from the first periodic structure of the first metamaterial lens element 110 .

[0047] For example, the organic light-emitting diode layer 130 may include a plurality of organic light-emitting diode units (OLED units) (not shown). The organic light-emitting diode layer 130 is adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element 110. In some embodiments, the first metamaterial lens element 110 is disposed on the organic light-emitting diode layer 130 and may be used to cover the organic light-emitting diode layer 130. In other embodiments, the organic light-emitting diode layer 130 may be directly attached to the first metamaterial lens element 110. It should be noted that the term "adjacent" or "adjacent" in this specification may refer to a situation where the distance between two corresponding elements is less than a predetermined distance (e.g., 10 mm or less), and may also include a situation where the two corresponding elements are in direct contact with each other (i.e., the aforementioned distance is shortened to 0).

[0048] For example, the infrared sensor layer 140 may include a plurality of organic photodiode (OPD) units (not shown). The infrared sensor layer 140 is adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element 120. In some embodiments, the second metamaterial lens element 120 is disposed above the infrared sensor layer 140 and may be used to cover the infrared sensor layer 140. In other embodiments, the infrared sensor layer 140 may be directly bonded to the second metamaterial lens element 120.

[0049] The circuit layer 150 can include various circuits, which are not particularly limited in the present invention. The circuit layer 150 can be used to support the organic light-emitting diode layer 130 and the infrared sensor layer 140. The substrate 160 can be used to support the circuit layer 150. In some embodiments, the circuit layer 150 includes a first controller and a second controller (not shown). The first controller can be used to drive the organic light-emitting diode layer 130, while the second controller can be used to control an infrared light detection process of the infrared sensor layer 140.

[0050] Generally speaking, the operating principle of the optical device 100 can be described as follows. The organic light emitting diode layer 130 can be used to generate visible light (ST), which can be transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element 110. The first metamaterial lens element 110 can provide a first refractive index (N1) to the visible light ST, thereby fine-tuning the direction and phase of the visible light ST. The infrared sensor layer 140 can be used to receive infrared light (SF) through the second metamaterial lens element 120. The second metamaterial lens element 120 can provide a second refractive index (N2) to the infrared light SF, thereby fine-tuning the direction and phase of the infrared light SF. For example, the infrared light SF can come from any external object or device. According to actual measurement results, because both the first metamaterial lens element 110 and the second metamaterial lens element 120 are lightweight and thin, the overall size of the optical device 100 using the first metamaterial lens element 110 and the second metamaterial lens element 120 can be significantly reduced. In addition, since the organic light emitting diode layer 130 can be well integrated with the infrared sensor layer 140 , the design flexibility of the optical device 100 can be further improved.

[0051] In some embodiments, the component dimensions and component parameters of the optical device 100 may be as follows. The operating frequency of the visible light ST may be between 400 THz and 790 THz. The operating frequency of the infrared light SF may be between 300 GHz and 430 THz. For the visible light ST, the first refractive index N1 of the first metamaterial lens element 110 may be greater than 1. For the infrared light SF, the second refractive index N2 of the second metamaterial lens element 120 may be less than 1. The above component dimensions and component parameter ranges are determined based on multiple experimental results and help minimize the overall size of the optical device 100 while optimizing the equivalent refractive index of the optical device 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the first refractive index N1 of the first metamaterial lens element 110 may be less than or equal to 1, while the second refractive index N2 of the second metamaterial lens element 120 may be greater than or equal to 1.

[0052] The following embodiments will introduce different configurations and detailed structural features of the optical device 100. It should be understood that these drawings and descriptions are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of an optical device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 1 Similar. Figure 2In an embodiment, the optical device 200 is a head mounted display (HMD), and the optical device 200 further includes an infrared light source (IR Light Source) 270, wherein the IR light source 270 can be fixed to an outer frame of the head mounted display (not shown). The IR light source 270 can emit an incident light (incident light) SI toward an eye E of a user. In response, the aforementioned infrared light SF can be equivalent to a reflected light (reflection light) SR from the user's eye E. For example, if the incident light SI has a left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), the reflected light SR can have a right-hand circular polarization (RHCP); conversely, if the incident light SI has a right-hand circular polarization, the reflected light SR can have a left-hand circular polarization. The circuit layer 150 or a processor coupled thereto can obtain and analyze relevant information about the reflected light SR from the infrared sensor layer 140, thereby being able to infer the movement or rotation of the user's eyeball E. Therefore, the optical device 200 will be able to support an eye tracking function. In addition, the second metamaterial lens element 120 can be further used to select reflected light SR (i.e., infrared light SF) with different polarization directions. In some embodiments, the second metamaterial lens element 120 can only be used to receive infrared light SF with left circular polarization characteristics, while infrared light SF with right circular polarization characteristics will be filtered out by the second metamaterial lens element 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the second metamaterial lens element 120 can only be used to receive infrared light SF with right circular polarization characteristics, while infrared light SF with left circular polarization characteristics will be filtered out by the second metamaterial lens element 120. According to actual measurement results, this polarization selection design can eliminate various light noises, which helps to improve the detection accuracy of the infrared sensor layer 140 and the circuit layer 150 . Figure 2 The remaining features of the optical device 200 are similar to those of Figure 1 The optical device 100 is similar, so both embodiments can achieve similar operating effects.

[0054] Figure 3A flow chart of an optical method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. First, in step S310, a first metamaterial lens element, a second metamaterial lens element, an organic light emitting diode layer, and an infrared sensor layer are provided, wherein the organic light emitting diode layer is adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element, and the infrared sensor layer is adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element. In step S320, a visible light is generated by the organic light emitting diode layer, wherein the visible light is transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element. Finally, in step S330, an infrared light is received by the second metamaterial lens element through the infrared sensor layer. It must be understood that the above steps do not need to be performed in sequence, but Figure 1 、 2 Each feature of the embodiment can be applied to Figure 3 Among the optical methods.

[0055] The present invention provides a novel optical device and optical method. Compared with conventional designs, the present invention has at least the advantages of miniaturized overall size, increased equivalent refractive index, improved integration, and enhanced spatial diversity, making it well-suited for application in a variety of devices.

[0056] It is worth noting that the above-mentioned element dimensions and element parameters are not limiting conditions of the present invention. Designers can adjust these setting values ​​according to different needs. The optical device and optical method of the present invention are not limited to Figure 1-3 The present invention may only include Figure 1-3 In other words, not all features shown in the drawings need to be implemented in the optical device and optical method of the present invention at the same time.

[0057] The method of the present invention, or a specific form or portion thereof, may be in the form of program code. The program code may be contained in a physical medium, such as a floppy disk, a CD, a hard disk, or any other machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) storage medium, or in a computer program product in a non-external form, wherein when the program code is loaded and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for participating in the present invention. The program code may also be transmitted via some transmission medium, such as a wire or cable, an optical fiber, or any other transmission mode, wherein when the program code is received, loaded, and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for participating in the present invention. When executed on a general-purpose processing unit, the program code, in combination with the processing unit, provides a unique device that operates similarly to an application-specific integrated circuit.

[0058] In this specification and claims, ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," "third," etc., have no sequential relationship with each other and are only used to distinguish two different components with the same name.

[0059] Although the present invention is disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, they are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Anyone skilled in the art may make slight changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising: a first metamaterial lens element; a second metamaterial lens element; an organic light emitting diode layer adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element; an infrared sensor layer adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element; a circuit layer, supporting the organic light emitting diode layer and the infrared sensor layer; as well as a substrate, carrying the circuit layer; The organic light emitting diode layer is used to generate visible light, and the visible light is transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element; The infrared sensor layer is used to receive infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element. 2 . The optical device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first metamaterial lens element and the second metamaterial lens element have different periodic structures. 3 . The optical device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first metamaterial lens element is configured to provide a first refractive index to the visible light. The optical device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first refractive index is greater than 1. 5 . The optical device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second metamaterial lens element is configured to provide a second refractive index to the infrared light. The optical device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second refractive index is less than 1. The optical device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a head-mounted display.

8. The optical device according to claim 1, further comprising: An infrared light source emits an incident light toward an eyeball, wherein the infrared light is equivalent to a reflected light from the eyeball.

9. The optical device of claim 8, wherein if the incident light has a left circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a right circular polarization characteristic.

10. The optical device of claim 8, wherein if the incident light has a right circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a left circular polarization characteristic. The optical device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical device supports an eye tracking function.

12. The optical device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second metamaterial lens element is only capable of receiving either the infrared light having a left circular polarization characteristic or the infrared light having a right circular polarization characteristic.

13. An optical method comprising the following steps: Providing a first metamaterial lens element, a second metamaterial lens element, an organic light emitting diode layer, and an infrared sensor layer, wherein the organic light emitting diode layer is adjacent to the first metamaterial lens element, and the infrared sensor layer is adjacent to the second metamaterial lens element; generating visible light through the organic light emitting diode layer, wherein the visible light is transmitted through the first metamaterial lens element; as well as The infrared light is received by the infrared sensor layer and the second metamaterial lens element. 14 . The optical method of claim 13 , wherein the first metamaterial lens element and the second metamaterial lens element have different periodic structures.

15. The optical method of claim 13, further comprising: A first refractive index is provided to the visible light through the first metamaterial lens element.

16. The optical method of claim 13, further comprising: A second refractive index is provided to the infrared light through the second metamaterial lens element.

17. The optical method of claim 13, further comprising: An incident light is emitted toward an eyeball through an infrared light source, wherein the infrared light is equivalent to a reflected light from the eyeball.

18. The optical method of claim 17, wherein if the incident light has a left circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a right circular polarization characteristic.

19. The optical method of claim 17, wherein if the incident light has a right circular polarization characteristic, the reflected light will have a left circular polarization characteristic.

20. The optical method of claim 13, further comprising: The infrared light having a left circular polarization characteristic or the infrared light having a right circular polarization characteristic is received through the second metamaterial lens element.

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