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Date Announced: 20 Oct 2023
Copenhagen, Denmark – NIL Technology (NILT), a leader in advanced optical solutions, is announcing a portfolio of metalens-based transmit-optics with record-setting performance. The portfolio includes two-in-one dot projectors, diffusers, polarization-sensitive optics, and application-specific solutions. All the transmit optics announced consist of a single nano-structured surface and work with non-collimated light sources.
Applications that benefit from this innovation include automotive driver monitoring systems, short-distance Lidar, 3D sensing (iTOF and dTOF), biometrics, face recognition, and autonomous vehicle safety and navigation.
The metalens-based dot-projectors consist of a single surface that collimates the light and projects the dot patterns. Delivering the functionality with a single surface enables compact dot-projector modules. The dot-projectors have more than 70% efficiency and less than 10% dot-uniformity-error. The metalens-based diffusers offer a wide field of illumination while delivering high efficiency and pronounced batwings at higher illumination angles. The diffusers are notable in the absence of a 0th-order transmission peak.
The polarization-sensitive optics enable applications to leverage the emerging VCSELs with polarization control. Furthermore, the meta optics platform can be customized for application-specific illumination profiles.
"NILT's has consistently reported the highest transmission efficiencies for metalenses. Our sophisticated design tools and vertically-integrated manufacturing means our customers get the highest performance in the as-build parts," said Dr. Ulrich Quaade – Head of Optics at NIL Technology.
NILT's transmit-optics metalenses are customizable, and parameters such as the field of illumination, batwing heights, the dot spacing, and tiling in the dot pattern can be designed specifically to customers' requirements.
Metalens advantages over conventional refractive lenses
Metalenses, the revolutionary flat lens technology, offers significant advantages over conventional refractive lenses. In narrowband applications, such as VCSEL-illuminated applications, one metalens can replace 6 to 8 refractive surfaces, leading to ultra-compact modules that are also simpler to assemble. Metalenses can deliver multiple functionalities from a single meta- surface, such as collimation and dot generation, leading to simpler modules and higher assembly yield. In near-infrared, the metalenses are constructed using silicon-on-glass, which delivers thermal stability 100 times better than plastic lenses.
Metalens technology brings the precision and process control of lithographic techniques to optics, delivering superior tolerance control resulting in minimal part-to-part variation in mass production.
About NILT
NIL Technology ApS (NILT), founded in 2006, is an optical solutions company designing, developing, and manufacturing optical elements and components using high-precision nanoscale features.The company is backed by several industry-independent investors: Jolt Capital, NGP Capital, Swisscanto, Vaekstfonden, and the European Innovation Council (EIC).
NILT creates competitive advantages with flat optics in optical applications for 3D sensing, consumer electronics, machine vision, autonomous vehicles, telecommunication, and AR/VR/MR displays. NILT is based in Denmark and has offices in Switzerland, Sweden, Malaysia, and the US. Visit us at www.nilt.com.
E-mail: contact@nilt.com
Web Site: nilt.com
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