Design of lensless retinal scanning display with diffractive optical element

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Augmented reality (AR) requires advanced near-eye displays.
• Retinal scanning displays offer potential for high resolution and compact form factors.
• Existing AR displays face challenges in field of view, efficiency, and visual comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze a novel retinal-scanning-based near-eye display for augmented reality applications.
• To investigate the optical principles of key components including laser projection, diffractive optics, and the human eye model.
• To evaluate the performance metrics of the proposed display design.

Main Methods:

• Design of a laser scanning projector.
• Integration of a diffractive optical element (DOE).
• Modeling of a moist eye with gradient refractive indices to simulate retinal interaction.

Main Results:

• Achieved a wide 122° field of view.
• Obtained high angular resolution of 8.09 arcminutes.
• Demonstrated excellent optical performance including 80.6% transmittance, 0.91 uniformity, 323 cd/m² luminance, and a contrast ratio of 4878.
• Modulation transfer functions exceeded 0.99999 at 3.71 cycles/degree with less than 24% distortion.

Conclusions:

• The proposed retinal-scanning display design offers a promising solution for AR.
• The system integrates advanced optical components for high-fidelity visual output.
• The achieved performance metrics indicate suitability for immersive and high-resolution augmented reality experiences.