Luminit is a technology innovator specializing in the development and manufacturing of advanced optical and holographic components. Our Research and Development (R&D) teams design, develop, and transition to on-site manufacturing optical solutions that solve tough challenges faced by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) in the lighting, display, automotive, and other high tech industries. Our specialty products and services include:
- Light Shaping Diffusers® optical elements at custom angles
- Light Shaping Micro-Optics
- Holographic Optical Elements for augmented reality
Luminit R&D’s expertise is available as a service to commercial and government customers.
Custom Light Shaping Diffusers® and Light Shaping Micro-Optics (LSM)
Light Shaping Diffusers® surface relief structures are pseudorandom patterns that are fabricated with optical embossing. Luminit proprietary and patented mastering and roll-to-roll manufacturing technology control the size and dimensional statistics of the pseudorandom patterns of the surface relief morphology. This statistical control allows Luminit to achieve Gaussian radiant intensity distributions with specific diffusion angles and enables highly efficient diffusers for lighting, automotive, and display applications. Luminit has many standard in-stock diffusion angles that are symmetrical or asymmetrical (elliptical), and Luminit R&D offers custom diffusion angle flexibility. Optical design, engineering, and transition to manufacturing allow us to develop custom angles for specialized applications that are not otherwise available in-stock.
Luminit Light Shaping Micro-optics surface relief structures enable custom and deterministic patterns instead of pseudorandom. Light Shaping Micro-optics use grayscale lithography to deterministically engineer the surface relief surface, thus enabling custom radiant intensity angular distributions. With in-house direct-writing-laser of masters, advanced replication tools, and microscopy tools, we can create and qualify refractive and diffractive optics with feature sizes as small as 1 micron. Although Light Shaping Micro-optics are deterministic in nature and in contrast with Light Shaping Diffusers®’ pseudo-random profiles, Light Shaping Micro-optics are still fully compatible with Luminit’s surface relief roll-to-roll manufacturing platform.
Optical outputs include flat-top intensity profiles, random dot generators, pattern generators, custom diffuser profiles, Fresnel lenses, phase plates, custom micro-lens arrays, and custom logos or graphics.
Custom Light Shaping Diffusers® and micro-optics applications include:
- LiDAR
- IR emitter-based facial/eye/head tracking
- IR and visible emitter based LiFi
- Automotive HUD components
- 3D sensing
- Branding projection
- Facial recognition
- Time of Flight (drones, automation, robotics)
- Gesture Recognition
- Flexible light guides
- Beam Shaping
- Structured Lighting
- Random dot generator
- Computer Generated Holograms (CGHs)
- Diffractive optical elements (DOEs)
Luminit R&D works closely with technology firms, automotive suppliers, and OEMs to develop LSM and custom Light Shaping Diffusers® optical components that integrate into their systems.
Holographic Optical Elements
Luminit developed holograms based on volume holographic optical elements (HOEs) that enable high brightness virtual images for Augmented Reality applications with high transparency. A Luminit THC is the enabling hologram embedded in the North Focals AR glasses.
These holograms use highly efficient HOEs that direct light beams without the need for conventional optics. This unique holographic technology works with near-to-eye displays, head-mounted displays, head-up displays, and automotive windshield head-up displays. Recorded on thin (10-30 micron) holographic photopolymer film, the holograms have thick volume hologram properties that are wavelength and angle selective. The holograms have high transparency (>90%), very low scattering, and a diffraction efficiency that reaches up to 90%. We have the experience and capacity to record almost any type of hologram—reflection and transmission, free-space, and substrate-guided. Luminit offers optical design, R&D, proof of concept, and manufacturing all under one roof. These holograms can be fabricated with custom incidence, reflected and transmitted angles, and focusing powers. Also, THC™ holograms can be integrated into lens stacks as in the North Focals or in windshields of vehicles.
Luminit has unique and patented production capabilities that allow optical replication in a roll-to-roll system for high-volume, low-cost manufacturing of volume hologram films. Tunable laser sources available in R&D and manufacturing ensure a good match for our customers’ playback light sources (LED, OLED, laser). A multitude of optical tables, clean rooms, in-house mastering, and production, combined with our core competency of roll-to-roll manufacturing, result in a swift concept-to-production cycle.
Thin film optical elements applications include:
- Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality
- Automotive and avionics head-up displays (HUDs) under-dash and on windshield combiners
- Near-to-eye and head- and helmet-mounted displays
- Wearable displays
- Eye-tracking
- Substrate-guided (or lightguide or waveguide) geometries
Luminit R&D works closely with technology firms and device manufacturers to develop and successfully integrate holograms into consumer electronic products.
Contact us at sales@luminitco.com to learn more.