SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction

Boqu Chen; Ce Li; Xiaoxuan Li; Chenting Fang; Yinggang Chen; Ding Zhao; Lu Cai; Kaikai Du; Min Qiu

doi:10.1186/s43593-025-00100-1

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction

eLight 2025年5卷

Research Article | Updated：2025-12-17

- SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction
- SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction
- Affiliations：
- Author bio：
- Funds：
  
  National Key Research and Development Program of Chinapment Program of China;National Natural Science Foundation of China
- DOI：10.1186/s43593-025-00100-1
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-08-03，
  
  修回：2025-08-03，
  
  录用：2025-08-06，
  
  网络出版：2025-08-21，
  
  纸质出版：2025-12
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Boqu Chen, Ce Li, Xiaoxuan Li, 等. SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction[J]. eLight, 2025,5.

Boqu Chen, Ce Li, Xiaoxuan Li, et al. SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction[J]. eLight, 2025, 5.
Boqu Chen, Ce Li, Xiaoxuan Li, 等. SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction[J]. eLight, 2025,5. DOI： 10.1186/s43593-025-00100-1.

Boqu Chen, Ce Li, Xiaoxuan Li, et al. SiC diffractive waveguides for augmented reality: single-layer, full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with vision correction[J]. eLight, 2025, 5. DOI： 10.1186/s43593-025-00100-1.

摘要

Abstract

The speed

dimensions

and immersive quality of communication have been continuously transformed by advances in information technology: from letters to telegraphs

telephones to video calls

and on-screen display to augmented reality (AR) displays. However

as demands for functional integration and high display quality intensify

significant limitations are encountered by conventional high-refractive-index glass-based diffractive waveguides

including bulkiness

weight

and rainbow artifacts in full-color displays. To overcome these challenges

we developed ultra-thin and ultra-light diffractive waveguides using 4H silicon carbide (SiC). These monolithic SiC waveguides are mass-produced via a specialized nanoimprinting (NIL) process on SiC wafers

leveraging the material’s high refractive index

thermal conductivity

and hardness. The resulting single-layer SiC waveguide achieves rainbow-artifact-free full-color displays while weighing just 3.795 g and measuring only 0.75 mm thick. Furthermore

we demonstrate compatibility with mass-produced prescription Fresnel lenses

addressing critical needs for myopia correction. This work advances diffractive waveguide display technology and offers a promising path for the future of information interaction.

关键词

Keywords

references

R.T. Azuma , A survey of augmented reality . Presence Teleoperators Virtual Environ. ( 1997 ). http://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355 http://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355

S. Feiner , B. MacIntyre , D. Seligmann , Knowledge-based augmented reality . Commun. ACM 36 , 53 - 62 ( 1993 ). http://doi.org/10.1145/159544.159587 http://doi.org/10.1145/159544.159587

Y. Zhang , F. Fang , Development of planar diffractive waveguides in optical see-through head-mounted displays . Precis. Eng. 60 , 482 - 496 ( 2019 ). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.precisioneng.2019.09.009 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.precisioneng.2019.09.009

C.-T.Choy, et al. In 2005 digest of technical papers. international conference on consumer electronics, ICCE. IEEE, 427–428 (2005).

J.P. Rolland , H. Fuchs , Optical versus video see-through head-mounted displays in medical visualization . Presence Teleoperators Virtual Environ. 9 , 287 - 309 ( 2000 ). http://doi.org/10.1162/105474600566808 http://doi.org/10.1162/105474600566808

I. E. Sutherland, In proceedings of the december 9–11, 1968, fall joint computer conference, part I. 757–764.

III J.J. Arthur et al. , Review of head-worn displays for the next generation air transportation system . Opt. Eng. 56 , 051405 - 051405 ( 2017 ). http://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.56.5.051405 http://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.56.5.051405

F. J. Ferrin, In helmet-and head-mounted displays IV. SPIE, 178–185

D. C. Roberts et al. In Head-and helmet-mounted displays XVII; and display technologies and applications for defense, security, and avionics VI. SPIE, 30–41

W. P. Bleha, L. A. Lei, In SID symposium digest of technical papers. Wiley Online Library, 297–300

B. Kress , R. Victorien , P. Meyrueis , Digital combiner achieves low cost and high reliability for head-up display applications . SPIE Newsroom 10 , 1599 ( 2009 ).

E. Peli , G. Luo , A. Bowers , N. Rensing , Applications of augmented-vision head-mounted systems in vision rehabilitation . J. Soc. Inf. Disp. 15 , 1037 - 1045 ( 2007 ). http://doi.org/10.1889/1.2825088 http://doi.org/10.1889/1.2825088

D. Weng , D. Cheng , Y. Wang , Y. Liu , Display systems and registration methods for augmented reality applications . Optik 123 , 769 - 774 ( 2012 ). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2011.05.033 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijleo.2011.05.033

B. Kress , E. Saeedi , V. Brac-de-la-Perriere , The segmentation of the HMD market: optics for smart glasses, smart eyewear, AR and VR headsets . Photonics Appl. Aviation, Aerosp. Commer. Harsh Environ. V 9202 , 107 - 120 ( 2014 ).

J. Rolland , O. Cakmakci , Head-worn displays: the future through new eyes . Opt. Photonics News 20 , 20 - 27 ( 2009 ). http://doi.org/10.1364/OPN.20.4.000020 http://doi.org/10.1364/OPN.20.4.000020

B. Kress , T. Starner , A review of head-mounted displays (HMD) technologies and applications for consumer electronics . Photonic Appl. Aerosp. Commer. Harsh Environ. IV 8720 , 62 - 74 ( 2013 ).

O. Cakmakci , J. Rolland , Head-worn displays: a review . J. Display Technol. 2 , 199 - 216 ( 2006 ). http://doi.org/10.1109/JDT.2006.879846 http://doi.org/10.1109/JDT.2006.879846

A. Martinez-Millana , J.-L. Bayo-Monton , A. Lizondo , C. Fernandez-Llatas , V. Traver , Evaluation of google glass technical limitations on their integration in medical systems . Sensors 16 , 2142 ( 2016 ). http://doi.org/10.3390/s16122142 http://doi.org/10.3390/s16122142

X. Miao, A.Wong, B. Amirparviz, Google Patents, (2013)

T. Starner , Project glass: an extension of the self . IEEE Pervasive Comput. 12 , 14 - 16 ( 2013 ). http://doi.org/10.1109/MPRV.2013.35 http://doi.org/10.1109/MPRV.2013.35

J.P. Rolland , Wide-angle, off-axis, see-through head-mounted display . Opt. Eng. 39 , 1760 - 1767 ( 2000 ). http://doi.org/10.1117/1.602555 http://doi.org/10.1117/1.602555

F. Fang , X. Zhang , A. Weckenmann , G. Zhang , C. Evans , Manufacturing and measurement of freeform optics . CIRP Ann. 62 , 823 - 846 ( 2013 ). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirp.2013.05.003 http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cirp.2013.05.003

H. Hoshi et al. In stereoscopic displays and virtual reality systems III. SPIE 234–242.

S. Yamazaki, K. Inoguchi, Y.Saito, H. Morishima, N.Taniguchi, In stereoscopic displays and virtual reality systems VI. SPIE 453–462

A. Takagi, S.Yamazaki, Y. Saito, N. Taniguchi, In Proceedings IEEE and ACM International Symposium on Augmented Reality (ISAR 2000). IEEE 68–77

D. Cheng , Y. Wang , C. Xu , W. Song , G. Jin , Design of an ultra-thin near-eye display with geometrical waveguide and freeform optics . Opt. Express 22 , 20705 - 20719 ( 2014 ). http://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.020705 http://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.020705

Q. Wang , D. Cheng , Q. Hou , Y. Hu , Y. Wang , Stray light and tolerance analysis of an ultrathin waveguide display . Appl. Opt. 54 , 8354 - 8362 ( 2015 ). http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.54.008354 http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.54.008354

L. Gu , D. Cheng , Q. Wang , Q. Hou , Y. Wang , Design of a two-dimensional stray-light-free geometrical waveguide head-up display . Appl. Opt. 57 , 9246 - 9256 ( 2018 ). http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.009246 http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.009246

Y. Amitai, In SID symposium digest of technical papers . Wiley Online Library 360–363

A. Frommer, In SID symposium digest of technical papers. Wiley Online Library, 134–135

Y. Amitai, In SID symposium digest of technical papers. Wiley Online Library, 310–313

Y. Amitai , S. Reinhorn , A. Friesem , Visor-display design based on planar holographic optics . Appl. Opt. 34 , 1352 - 1356 ( 1995 ). http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.34.001352 http://doi.org/10.1364/AO.34.001352

B. Kress, M. Shin, In proceedings of the 2013 ACM conference on pervasive and ubiquitous computing adjunct publication. 1479–1482

I.Gurwich, V. Weiss, L. Eisen, M. Meyklyar, A. A. Friesem, In Wave-optical systems engineering II. SPIE, 212–221

J.Upatnieks. Google Patents (1987)

I. K. Wilmington, M. Valera. In SID symposium digest of technical papers. 278–280.

M. Simmonds, R. Howard. A projection display with a rod-like, rectangular cross-section waveguide and a plate-like waveguide, each of them having a diffraction grating. WO Patent (2007)

S. Choi , C. Jang , D. Lanman , G. Wetzstein , Synthetic aperture waveguide holography for compact mixed-reality displays with large étendue . Nat. Photonics ( 2025 ). http://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01718-w http://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-025-01718-w

Meta. Orion AI Glasses: The future of ar glasses technology. https://about.meta.com/realitylabs/orion/ https://about.meta.com/realitylabs/orion/ . Accessed 03 June 2025.

Ankit , K. Kishor , R.K. Sinha , Design, fabrication, and characterization of epsilon negative and near-zero index metasurface . Appl. Phys. A 130 , 98 ( 2024 ). http://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-07239-z http://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-07239-z

M. A. Ahamad, F.A. Inam, S. Castelletto. Silicon carbide metasurfaces for controlling the spontaneous emission of embedded color centers. arXiv preprint. (2023). arXiv:2301.04961 http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.04961 .

B. Zhang , J. Hendrickson , N. Nader , H.-T. Chen , J. Guo , Metasurface optical antireflection coating . Appl. Phys. Lett. ( 2014 ). http://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904827 http://doi.org/10.1063/1.4904827

K. Ou et al. , Advances in meta-optics and metasurfaces: fundamentals and applications . Nanomaterials 13 , 1235 ( 2023 ). http://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071235 http://doi.org/10.3390/nano13071235

Y. Qian et al. , Power consumption of light engines for emerging augmented reality glasses: perspectives and challenges . Adv. Photon. 7 , 034001 - 034001 ( 2025 ). http://doi.org/10.1117/1.AP.7.3.034001 http://doi.org/10.1117/1.AP.7.3.034001

M. Gopakumar et al. , Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides . Nature 629 , 791 - 797 ( 2024 ). http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07386-0 http://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07386-0

浏览量

Downloads

CSCD

文章被引用时，请邮件提醒。

Submit

关联资源

暂无数据