On March 21, 2023, CQCR Optical Technology Corporation, a leading manufacturer of ultra-precision optical lenses/After Level Glass (WLG) lenses in China, announced that the company has successfully developed a new generation of single-layer full-color optical waveguide lenses, laying a solid technical and mass production foundation for further layout of the AR market.
A new generation of optical waveguide wafers for single layer color optical waveguide lenses
It is reported that installing single layer optical waveguide lenses on traditional AR devices is difficult to meet the display requirements of large viewing angles or high-quality color images. Therefore, the current market for AR devices mainly uses multilayer optical waveguide lenses, but multilayer optical waveguide lenses are not a perfect solution. Due to interlayer alignment tolerance and stray light reflection, serious iridescence and MTF reduction can be caused, affecting the imaging effect, That is, there is a defect of insufficient imaging quality of optical waveguide lenses.
The new generation of single-layer color optical waveguide lenses developed and manufactured by CQCR have multiple advantages such as higher light efficiency, stronger analytical power, and better color uniformity, achieving a balance between single-layer optical waveguide lens settings and large viewing angle and high image quality, bringing consumers a clearer picture and a more transparent and lightweight wearing experience.
Single layer full color: Currently, in the industry, color optical waveguides typically require 2-3 layers to be realized. CQCR breaks through the bottleneck of optical waveguide bandwidth through a unique high refractive index grating processing process, achieving single layer full color.
Compatible with multiple FOVs: The optical waveguide developed by CQCR is compatible with 30-50 degree FOVs, meeting the needs of different customers and application scenarios.
Further improvement of optical efficiency: The unique design of CQCR coupled grating significantly improves the coupled optical efficiency, ensuring that more than 90% of the light can enter the interior of the optical waveguide. At the same time, the overall optical efficiency of the optical waveguide is ensured by expanding the region and coupling out the region grating partition design, and the overall color optical efficiency of the lens exceeds 310 nits/lm.
Thinner and Lighter: CQCR single layer color technology further realizes the thinning of lenses on the basis of improving the transmittance. Compared to the common double layer scheme on the market, the thickness and weight of CQCR’s new generation single layer color optical waveguide lenses have been reduced by more than 50%, greatly increasing the user’s wearing comfort.
Better color uniformity: Through optimization and adjustment of the extended and coupled regions, CQCR’s new generation of single layer color optical waveguide lenses have achieved color uniformity required by consumer demand.
Less light leakage: Through the grating design, the light leakage from the outside of the optical waveguide coupling area is reduced, protecting privacy.
Higher definition: Higher definition (16lp/deg>40%), allowing users to easily read the information presented by the device.
CQCR independently grasps the technological processes of cutting, grinding, polishing, and cleaning, and has the core technology and mass production capacity to prepare various sizes of glass wafers. Currently, the mass production line for single-layer full-color optical waveguide lenses has achieved commercial production.