Microstructured Optical Lens for Peripheral Light Suppression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional meta-lenses suffer from performance deterioration due to areas without a desired lens function, leading to reduced imaging accuracy as excess light falls on the peripheral areas without the desired optical properties.
Innovation Solution
The optical lens design includes a substrate with microstructural bodies arranged in a first area for condensing light and a second area with properties such as refracting, diffusing, reflecting, or absorbing light to prevent excess light from reaching the imaging area, thereby maintaining performance even in areas without a desired lens function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a meta-lens uses a uniform nanostructural array across the entire surface, then the lens achieves a desired phase delay profile for light within a target wavelength range, but peripheral areas without the desired lens function cause performance deterioration and reduced imaging accuracy due to excess light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the meta-lens surface into a first area with nanostructural bodies configured to condense light at a predetermined focal length, and a second area with nanostructural bodies configured to refract, diffuse, reflect, or absorb light. This local differentiation allows the first area to maintain high imaging accuracy while the second area prevents performance deterioration by managing excess light, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving desired optical properties and eliminating harmful effects from peripheral areas.
2Reliability
If the second area is designed to refract inward, diffuse, reflect, or absorb light, then performance deterioration is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to the need for different optical properties in different areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the meta-lens surface into distinct functional areas: a first area with nanostructural bodies optimized for light condensation and a second area with nanostructural bodies optimized for light management (refraction, diffusion, reflection, or absorption). This segmentation allows each area to be independently optimized for its specific function, improving overall reliability while maintaining a relatively simple unified structure that can be manufactured using standard meta-lens fabrication techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces performance deterioration by redirecting or absorbing excess light, ensuring high imaging accuracy and reducing the impact of non-functional areas on the lens's overall performance.
Implementation Method 1
The first area has a property of condensing, at a predetermined focal length, first incident light incident on the first area
Implementation Method 2
a property of refracting inward second incident light incident on the second area
Implementation Method 3
a property of diffusing the second incident light
Implementation Method 4
a property of reflecting the second incident light
Implementation Method 5
a property of absorbing the second incident light
Data Source
AI summary
An optical lens that is used for light having a wavelength within a predetermined target wavelength range includes a substrate having a surface and a plurality of microstructural bodies two-dimensionally provided at the surface of the substrate. The plurality of microstructural bodies include, on the surface of the substrate, a first area and a second area located outside the first area. The first area has a property of condensing, at a predetermined focal length, first incident light incident on the first area. The second area has at least one selected from the group consisting of (a) a property of refracting inward second incident light incident on the second area, (b) a property of diffusing the second incident light, (c) a property of reflecting the second incident light, and (d) a property of absorbing the second incident light.