The control of laser light propagation within glass by using direct laser writing is a very powerful tool, in particular for display applications. Millions of tiny light channels can be implemented in thin glass plates and distribute light from a single laser source to a large amount of pixels with nanometric precision. As a result, each pixel is supplied with a dedicated microscopic laser beam.
This approach offers vast advantages over the current way of distributing light within a display which is based on scattering incoherent light everywhere. In particular the energy efficiency of displays can be drastically reduced because light is only produced where it is useful and precisely tailored to meet the viewer's eye without encountering loss. By using the coherence offered by the laser source and the precise light distribution, holographic displays become within reach.
The goal of this project, which was run as a collaboration between CNR-IFN and VitreaLab GmbH, was to establish the groundwork in terms of experimental proof of principle, intellectual property development and business development.
All these areas have seen very successful developments. Industry partners have been successfully contacted and have verified the strong interest in the approach described. A demonstration device with 1.4” diameter is accepted as a proof of concept and first light guide chips with these dimensions have been successfully built during the project featuring 27.000 sub-pixels.
In total four patents have been filed, solidifying the intellectual property base and establishing the necessary tools for the licensing business model targeted.
VitreaLab GmbH is moving to commercialize the results from this project and has successfully attracted 1.3M€ in venture capital as well as other public grants of ca. 1.4M€. After building a dedicated clean room laboratory and doubling the team size the next target is shipping a demonstration unit combining the waveguide chips and standard display components to partners in Asia and in the USA.
