PIC advances smart glasses displays
A voltage-controlled photonic chip achieves 10 GHz modulation bandwidth and could reduce power consumption by more than 75% in full-colour laser-scanning displays.
Researchers at TDK Corporation have developed a thin-film lithium niobate photonic integrated circuit (PIC) designed to improve the speed and energy efficiency of laser-scanning displays for smart glasses.
Reported in Advanced Photonics Nexus, the device uses three Mach–Zehnder interferometers to control red, green and blue laser intensities through applied voltages.
An integrated optical multiplexer combines the colours into a single output beam.
The chip achieved a modulation bandwidth of 10 GHz and was demonstrated alongside a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror, highlighting its potential for high-resolution, full-colour wearable displays.
The researchers also reported potential power savings of more than 75% compared with conventional laser-current modulation.
The development highlights the potential of thin-film lithium niobate PICs to enable faster optical modulation, lower power consumption and more compact display systems.
Further reductions in waveguide and colour-combining losses could improve overall efficiency.
