World’s first full-colour laser control for 4K smart glasses
TDK has developed the first full-colour laser controller for 4K smart glasses using lithium niobate (LiNbO3) thin film.
Using a lithium niobate film for voltage controlled modulation increases the colour control speed by a factor of 10 compared to the conventional module’s current control to reach video resolutions of 4K or higher in AR or VR smart glasses.
TDK has worked with QD Laser in Japan on a demonstration of direct retinal projection from the smart glasses, and the device will be demonstrated at CEATEC 2024, taking place from October 15-18, 2024 in Chiba, Japan.
TDK has previously shown a full-colour laser module (FCLM) for direct retinal laser projection module using manufacturing technologies for magnetic heads of hard disk drives (HDD). This was also was developed with QD Laser in the US with a planar lightwave circuit jointly developed with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT).
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Lithium niobate films are currently used for long-distance high-speed optical communication such as Beyond 5G/6G, with many highlighting its applications with near-infrared light. Using the technology for full-colour laser modules for AR/VR smart glasses allows the 10x increase in speed with visible light lasers to reach the 4K resolution. Research and development have confirmed that it can control all three primary colours of light – red, green, and blue.
The thin film for this device is formed by a sputtering method, which has been cultivated over the years and is better for mass production, rather than the conventional method of bonding lithium niobate to a substrate using bulk material. By applying this proprietary technology, TDK manufactured and tested lithium niobate devices for the first time.
The results of this device development can be applied not only to video devices for AR/VR smart glasses but also for high-speed optical communication in data centres and high-speed optical wiring in generative AI.
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