Flat-panel laser displays through large-scale photonic integrated circuits

Laser-based displays are highly sought after for their superior brightness and colour performance¹, especially in advanced applications such as augmented reality (AR)². However, their broader use has been hindered by bulky projector designs and complex optical module assemblies³. Here we introduce a laser display architecture enabled by large-scale visible photonic integrated circuits (PICs)^4,5,6,7 to address these challenges. Unlike previous projector-style laser displays, this architecture features an ultra-thin, flat-panel form factor, replacing bulky free-space illumination modules with a single, high-performance photonic chip. Centimetre-scale PIC devices, which integrate thousands of distinct optical components on-chip, are carefully tailored to achieve high display uniformity, contrast and efficiency. We demonstrate a 2-mm-thick flat-panel laser display combining the PIC with a liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCoS) panel^8,9, achieving 211% of the colour gamut and more than 80% volume reduction compared with traditional LCoS displays. We further showcase its application in a see-through AR system. Our work represents an advancement in the integration of nanophotonics with display technologies, enabling a range of new display concepts, from high-performance immersive displays to slim-panel 3D holography.