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Google patents grating design that controls light beyond manufacturing limits

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Google describes a diffraction grating that uses tiny, sub-wavelength structures to reduce how much light scatters in unwanted directions. These small features allow the grating to control light more precisely than standard manufacturing techniques usually allow.

Why it mattersThis could improve the performance of optical components used in displays, sensors, or communication hardware by making them more efficient and less prone to light leakage.

In the filing’s own words

A diffraction grating includes a plurality of diffraction features and a plurality of grooves. Each groove of the plurality of grooves is adjacent to at least one diffraction feature of the plurality of diffraction features. One or more sub-wavelength features are included within either one or more of the diffraction features or one or more of the grooves. The one or more sub-wavelength features reduce a diffraction efficiency of at least one diffraction order of the diffraction grating beyond fabrication limits while still allowing the amount of light diffracted into an unwanted orthogonal direction to be controlled.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A diffraction grating comprising: a plurality of diffraction features, wherein at least one diffraction feature of the plurality of diffraction features comprises one or more sub-wavelength features; and a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves is adjacent to at least one diffraction feature of the plurality of diffraction features, wherein the one or more sub-wavelength features reduce a diffraction efficiency of at least one diffraction order of the diffraction grating beyond fabrication limits.

Facts

Company
Google (GOOGLE LLC)
Official title
GRATINGS WITH REDUCED DIFFRACTION EFFICIENCIES BEYOND FABRICATION LIMITS
Publication number
US20260329086A1
Application number
19105631
Filed
Aug 22, 2022
Published
Oct 22, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
20

Classified under

G02B 27/0172 Physics & computingG02B 5/1809 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.