Optical Waveguide Fingerprint Recognition Device with Two‐Stage Dual‐Function Gratings.

In the under‐screen fingerprint recognition of smart cell phones, the tiny image signals are easily deteriorated by the protective membranes of screens. To solve this issue, an optical waveguide comprising two stage dual‐function gratings is proposed to supply extra lighting. The first stage is formed by two adjacent gratings possessing a cross angle of 120°, which serve as couplers and beam splitters to trap and split the incident light into two paths within the optical waveguide film, respectively. The second stage gratings, possessing a 60° included angle to the first stage, act as beam orientators and expanders by consecutively redirecting a portion of the light beams towards the sensing zone. By covering the waveguide film outside on an organic light emitting diode display screen and setting a camera and a laser under the screen, this slim construction shows high efficiency and large area under‐screen fingerprint recognition with high signal contrast. The design inspires a novel method for efficiently and flexibly controlling photons by arranging a series of gratings with the proper orientations and locations on a chip, which is highly demanded in displays and optical communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]