Compact structured light generation and depth perception from integration of metasurface and photonic crystal surface-emitting laser

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 10,000 infrared spots from a 300^2 μm^2 metasurface area, which is 233 times smaller than the commercial DOE-based dot projector used in the Face ID on iPhone. The system is lens-free and power consumption due to the utilization of PCSEL, reducing 5-10 times of power compared to VCSEL-array based dot projectors.