Samsung Research and scientists from the Pohang University of Science and Technology have developed new AR glasses lenses with a thickness of 1.5 mm. This is approximately one-third of the thickness of lenses currently used in commercial devices.
The technology utilizes a metasurface composed of nanostructures smaller than the wavelength of visible light. These structures control the phase and direction of light, significantly reducing light loss during propagation within the waveguide.
To achieve full-color imaging, the researchers combined two waveguide layers: one for blue and green light, and another for red and green light. This configuration improves brightness while maintaining power consumption levels comparable to existing devices.
The prototype demonstrates high readability of white text in bright daylight. In indoor conditions, the system maintains full-color quality even when display power is reduced to 30 percent of its original level.
The development is currently at the prototype stage. Future work will focus on transitioning to a single-layer waveguide, reducing optical artifacts like rainbow halos and blurring, with a target to bring the technology to market within three years.
