Optical waveguide structure, optical waveguide module and head-mounted display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025291119-A1
Application number	US-202519055442-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2025
Priority date	Mar 14, 2024
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The application discloses an optical waveguide structure, an optical waveguide module and a head-mounted display device. The optical waveguide structure according to an implementation of the disclosure includes a waveguide substrate, an in-coupling grating and an out-coupling grating. The in-coupling grating is used to couple input light into the waveguide substrate for transmission. The out-coupling grating is used to perform pupil expansion and out-coupling on light transmitted in the waveguide substrate. The out-coupling grating is a two-dimensional grating, and the two-dimensional grating has a two-dimensional structural element(s). A characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms a relative rotation angle with a direction of a lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating to change a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in a predetermined direction.

First claim

I/We claim:

1 . An optical waveguide structure, comprising:
a waveguide substrate; an in-coupling grating configured to couple input light into the waveguide substrate for transmission; an out-coupling grating configured to perform pupil expansion and out-coupling on light transmitted in the waveguide substrate, wherein the out-coupling grating is a two-dimensional grating, the two-dimensional grating has a two-dimensional structural element(s), and a characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms a relative rotation angle with a direction of a lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating to change a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in a predetermined direction.

2 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional grating has a first lattice period direction and a second lattice period direction, a number of the two-dimensional structural element(s) is multiple, and the multiple two-dimensional structural elements are arranged in the first lattice period direction and the second lattice period direction;
the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating is a direction of a sum of a vector of the first lattice period direction and a vector of the second lattice period direction.

3 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 2 , wherein the two-dimensional structural element(s) has a first reciprocal lattice vector direction corresponding to the second lattice period direction and a second reciprocal lattice vector direction corresponding to the first lattice period direction, and the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms the relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating to change a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in the first reciprocal lattice vector direction or the second reciprocal lattice vector direction.

4 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the first reciprocal lattice vector direction is perpendicular to the second lattice period direction, and the second reciprocal lattice vector direction is perpendicular to the first lattice period direction.

5 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein a magnitude of the relative rotation angle is determined based on a first lattice period length, a second lattice period length, and an angle between the first lattice period direction and the second lattice period direction.

6 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the two-dimensional structural element(s) rotates in a first rotation direction, to enable the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) to form a negative relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating, thereby increasing a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in the first reciprocal lattice vector direction; wherein the first rotation direction is a rotation direction from the first lattice period direction to the second lattice period direction.

7 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 6 , wherein the out-coupling grating comprises a first grating region corresponding to the first reciprocal lattice vector direction, and in the first grating region, the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms the negative relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating.

8 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein the two-dimensional structural element(s) rotates in a second rotation direction, to enable the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) to form a positive relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating, thereby increasing a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in the second reciprocal lattice vector direction; wherein the second rotation direction is a rotation direction from the second lattice period direction to the first lattice period direction.

9 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 8 , wherein the out-coupling grating comprises a second grating region corresponding to the second reciprocal lattice vector direction, and in the second grating region, the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms the positive relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating.

10 . The optical waveguide structure of claim 3 , wherein in a direction away from the in-coupling grating, the relative rotation angle changes gradually or stepwise within a spatial range of the out-coupling grating.

11 . An optical waveguide module, comprising:
an optical waveguide structure comprising:
a waveguide substrate;
an in-coupling grating configured to couple input light into the waveguide substrate for transmission; and
an out-coupling grating configured to perform pupil expansion and out-coupling on light transmitted in the waveguide substrate, wherein the out-coupling grating is a two-dimensional grating, the two-dimensional grating has a two-dimensional structural element(s), and a characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms a relative rotation angle with a direction of a lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating to change a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in a predetermined direction; and
an optical mechanism configured to emit the input light to the in-coupling grating.

12 . The optical waveguide module of claim 11 , wherein the two-dimensional grating has a first lattice period direction and a second lattice period direction, a number of the two-dimensional structural element(s) is multiple, and the multiple two-dimensional structural elements are arranged in the first lattice period direction and the second lattice period direction;
the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating is a direction of a sum of a vector of the first lattice period direction and a vector of the second lattice period direction.

13 . The optical waveguide module of claim 12 , wherein the two-dimensional structural element(s) has a first reciprocal lattice vector direction corresponding to the second lattice period direction and a second reciprocal lattice vector direction corresponding to the first lattice period direction, and the characteristic axis direction of the two-dimensional structural element(s) forms the relative rotation angle with the direction of the lattice period vector sum of the two-dimensional grating to change a diffraction efficiency of the out-coupling grating in the first reciprocal lattice vector direction or the second reciprocal lattice vector direction.

14 . The optical waveguide module of claim 13 , wherein the first reciprocal lattice vector direction is perpendicular to the second lattice period direction, and the second reciprocal lattice vector direction is perpendicular to the first lattice period direction.

15 . The optical waveguide module of claim 13 , wherein a magnitude of the relative rotation angle is determined based on a first lattice period length, a second lattice period length, and an angle between the first lattice period direction and the second lattice period direction.

16 . The optical waveguide module of claim 13 , wherein the two-dimensional structural element(s) rotates in a first rotation direction, to enable t

Assignees

• Beijing Zitiao Network Technology Co Ltd
• Lemon Inc

Inventors

• Xiong Wen
• Zhang Peng

Classifications

• G02B27/0101

  characterised by optical features (G02B27/0172 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G02B6/005

  provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light output side of the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/0035

  provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it · CPC title

• G02B6/0026

  Wavelength selective element, sheet or layer, e.g. filter or grating · CPC title