Flat-panel laser displays through large-scale photonic integrated circuits.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40836133.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41586-025-09107-7 and PMC identifier 12367541.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Laser-based displays are highly sought after for their superior brightness and colour performance<sup>1</sup>, especially in advanced applications such as augmented reality (AR)<sup>2</sup>. However, their broader use has been hindered by bulky projector designs and complex optical module assemblies<sup>3</sup>. Here we introduce a laser display architecture enabled by large-scale visible photonic integrated circuits (PICs)<sup>4-7</sup> to address these challenges. Unlike previous projector-style laser displays, this architecture features an ultra-thin, flat-panel form factor, replacing bulky free-space illumination modules with a single, high-performance photonic chip. Centimetre-scale PIC devices, which integrate thousands of distinct optical components on-chip, are carefully tailored to achieve high display uniformity, contrast and efficiency. We demonstrate a 2-mm-thick flat-panel laser display combining the PIC with a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) panel<sup>8,9</sup>, achieving 211% of the colour gamut and more than 80% volume reduction compared with traditional LCoS displays. We further showcase its application in a see-through AR system. Our work represents an advancement in the integration of nanophotonics with display technologies, enabling a range of new display concepts, from high-performance immersive displays to slim-panel 3D holography.