Enhancing Waveguide Performance: Exploring Advanced Optical Materials

This presentation will cover the latest developments in optical materials for AR/VR/MR devices. The key materials are high refractive index nanoimprint materials and high refractive index light absorbing black materials. With the inkjet nanoimprint materials coating film thicknesses can be locally controlled to obtain the locally optimized film thicknesses for the specific nanoimprint process. The inkjet process allows a more controlled way to optimize the residual layer thickness and total efficiency of the waveguide. Internal reflections within the AR waveguide are a major source of reduced optical contrast. The index matching light absorbing coating provides a simple solution for controlling the internal reflections. When high refractive index substrate edges are coated with matching refractive index light absorbing coatings, there is a reduction in reflected and scattered light compared to non-RI matched solutions.