Thin-film camera using luminescent concentrators and an optical Söller collimator

This article reports our investigation of the potential of optical Söller collimators in combination with luminescent concentrators for lens-less, short-distance, and shape-independent thin-film imaging. We discuss optical imaging capabilities and limitations, and present first prototypes and results. Modern 3D laser lithography and deep X-ray lithography support the manufacturing of extremely fine collimator structures that pave the way for flexible and scalable thin-film cameras that are far thinner than 1 mm (including optical imaging and color sensor layers).