Compact depth perception from integration of metasurface and PCSEL

We demonstrated a novel depth sensing system that utilizes metasurfaces and Photonic Crystal Surface-Emitting Lasers (PCSELs), realizing structured light generation and facial recognition in monocular depth sensing. Our single-shot system projects approximately 45,700 infrared spots from a 297² μm² metasurface area, which is 233 times smaller than the commercial DOE-based dot projector used in the Face ID on iPhone. The proposed system provides a measured Field-of-View (FOV) of 158°. The system is lens-free and power consumption due to the utilization of PCSEL, reducing five to ten times of power compared to VCSEL-array based dot projectors.