Integrated photonic chip enables ultra-compact laser displays

Our paper, “Flat-panel laser displays through large-scale photonic integrated circuits,” is published today in Nature.

In this work, we demonstrate an ultra-compact high-performance laser display — smaller than a fingernail — enabled by a large-scale visible photonic integrated circuit. The photonic chip integrates thousands of optical components onto a single piece of glass, replacing the bulky free-space optics used in conventional laser projectors. This compact and scalable architecture holds strong promise for applications in AR/VR and wearable devices, and represents a significant advancement in the integration of nanophotonics with display technology. The work was conducted at Meta prior to Prof. Shi joining the University of Pittsburgh.