Patent ID: 11754825

Abstract:
An illuminator, comprising: an illumination waveguide, and a controller; the illumination waveguide being a planar waveguide configured to receive a light wave at a receiving end and guide it to a mirror end; the mirror end comprising a patterned mirror configured to reflect at least part of the light wave back into the illumination waveguide, the patterned mirror comprising a pattern configured to confer a diffraction pattern to the reflected light, the diffraction pattern contributing to an interference pattern, the interference pattern having an evanescent field outside the illumination waveguide, wherein the evanescent field of the interference pattern is configured to illuminate an object in close relation to the illumination waveguide; wherein the controller is configured to control a wavefront of the received light wave and to set a relation between the controlled wavefront and the pattern of the patterned mirror such that the interference pattern forms at least one element of constructive interference for selectively illuminating a portion of the object; wherein the controller is further configured to sequentially change the interference pattern.