Recently, Professor Min Qiu's team achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of silicon carbide (SiC) photonics. The research paper titled "SiC Diffractive Waveguides for Augmented Reality: Single-Layer, Full-Color, Rainbow-Artifact-Free Display with Vision Correction," authored by PhD student Boqu Chen (Class of 2021), has been accepted by the journal eLight. This paper introduces and realizes an ultra-light, ultra-thin, and mass-producible SiC diffractive waveguide for the first time, clearing key obstacles for the development of consumer-grade AR glasses.
Augmented Reality (AR) technology is widely applied in consumer electronics, medical, industrial, and educational fields, but its popularization has been constrained by hardware bottlenecks. Conventional AR glasses often use high-refractive-index glass for their waveguide lenses, which leads to bulky devices (monocular weight often exceeds 10-15 grams) and produces distracting "rainbow artifacts" in ambient light, severely impacting user experience and comfort.
To address this technical limitation, the team innovatively developed a SiC-based diffractive waveguide. Due to its high refractive index, high thermal conductivity, and high hardness, SiC is an ideal material for such applications. By employing a proprietary "NIL-to-lift-off" process, the research team achieved the design, mass-producible fabrication, and packaging of a single-layer SiC diffractive waveguide for the first time. Compared to conventional glass solutions, the novel SiC waveguide not only completely eliminates the rainbow artifact issue but also reduces the lens weight to just 3.795 grams and thickness to 0.75 mm. Furthermore, the technology is compatible with ultra-thin Fresnel prescription lenses, providing a "one-stop" lightweight AR solution for nearsighted users for the first time.
The paper systematically details the design principles, fabrication process, and performance verification of the SiC diffractive waveguide. Experimental results demonstrate that the device achieves a full-color, rainbow-artifact-free display with a luminous efficiency 72% higher than mainstream commercial products, showcasing excellent optical quality. This breakthrough provides a novel technological solution and new application potential for consumer AR glasses, optoelectronic devices, and micro-nano manufacturing.
The successful publication of this research not only offers a new direction for the development of SiC photonic devices but also presents a groundbreaking approach to solving core technological challenges in the AR field.
Paper Link：https://elight.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43593-025-00100-1
