Gigapixel and 1440-perspective extended-angle display by megapixel MEMS-SLM

Abstract

Orders-of-magnitude increases are desired in the pixel count and density of spatial light modulators (SLMs) for next-gen displays. We present in-plane and simultaneous angular-spatial light modulation by a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based SLM, a digital micromirror device (DMD), to generate gigapixel output by time and angular multiplexing. Pulsed illumination synchronized to the micromirror actuation achieves pixel-implemented and diffraction-based angular modulation, and source multiplexing increases angular selectivity. We demonstrate 1440-perspective image output across a 43.9∘×1.8∘ FOV, 8-bit multi-perspective videos at 30 FPS, and multi-focal-plane image generation. We discuss scalability to terapixels and implications for near-to-eye displays.