Abstract: A polarizing beam splitting system is described. The polarizing beam splitting system may include first and second prisms where the volume of the first prism is no greater than half the volume of the second prism. The first prism includes first and second surfaces and a light source may be disposed adjacent the first surface and an image forming device may be disposed adjacent the second surface. The first prism has a first hypotenuse and the second prism has a second hypotenuse. A reflective polarizer is disposed between the first and second hypotenuses.

Abstract: A polymeric optical lens has an optical retardance. A same principal axis of the optical retardance can have an orientation within about 5 degrees of a same first direction for each location in at least 60% of a continuous first region of the polymeric optical lens. The first region includes at least 60% of a largest optically active region of the polymeric optical lens. The optical retardance is greater than 10 nm in at least a portion of the largest optically active region.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for an optical element useful in an optical device for illuminating the pupil of an eye, particularly for use with a head mountable display that can include eye-tracking. The optical device includes a light source and an optical element that transmits light, where light emitted from the light source is directed by the optical element toward the pupil of the eye, and attributes of the eye can then be detected by an optical sensor such as a camera. The light source can emit infrared light that is not visible to the human eye, so that world view images and/or combined digital images of the head-mountable display are not compromised.

Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a first retarder layer. A light ray propagates along the optical axis and passes through the plurality of optical lenses, the partial reflector, the reflective polarizer, and the first retarder layer without being substantially refracted. For a cone of light incident on the optical system from an object comprising a spatial frequency of about 70, 60, 50, 40, or 30 line pairs per millimeter and filling the exit pupil with a chief ray of the cone of light passing through a center of the opening of the exit pupil of the optical system and making an angle of about 20 degrees with the optical axis, a modulation transfer function of the optical system is greater than about 0.2.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical assembly includes providing a first mold having a first curved mold surface; placing a substantially flat reflective polarizer; on the first curved mold surface and applying at least one of pressure and heat to at least partially conform the reflective polarizer to the first curved mold surface; providing a second mold comprising a second mold surface, the first and second mold surfaces defining a mold cavity therebetween; substantially filling the mold cavity with a flowable material having a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the reflective polarizer; and solidifying the flowable material to form a solid optical element bonded to the reflective polarizer. A maximum variation of an orientation of a pass polarization state across the bonded reflective polarizer is within about 3 degrees of a maximum variation of the orientation of the pass polarization state across the substantially flat reflective polarizer.

Abstract: An optical system for displaying an image to a viewer includes a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a first retarder layer. A light ray propagates along the optical axis and passes through the plurality of optical lenses, the partial reflector, the reflective polarizer, and the first retarder layer without being substantially refracted. For a cone of light incident on the optical system from an object comprising a spatial frequency of about 70, 60, 50, 40, or 30 line pairs per millimeter and filling the exit pupil with a chief ray of the cone of light passing through a center of the opening of the exit pupil of the optical system and making an angle of about 20 degrees with the optical axis, a modulation transfer function of the optical system is greater than about 0.2.

Abstract: An optical element includes an optical surface configured to receive light at a predetermined wavelength in a range from about 400 nm to about 1000 nm. The optical surface is defined by a vertical axis and a horizontal axis defining four Cartesian quadrants sequentially numbered in a counter-clockwise direction. A first longitudinal section of the optical surface is centered on the vertical axis and a second longitudinal section of the optical surface is centered on the horizontal axis. The first and second longitudinal section each extend across opposite edges of the optical surface and have a same substantially uniform retardance for substantially normally incident light. The optical element includes four discrete retarder sections. Each retarder section is disposed on a respective Cartesian quadrant of the optical surface and has a retardance difference from the substantially uniform retardance of the optical surface that is greater than zero.

Abstract: A reflective polarizing imaging lens includes at least one optical film having an active area that is curved in two orthogonal directions. Edges of the optical film are arranged to form seams between segments of the optical film in the active area of the reflective polarizing imaging lens.

Abstract: An optical system for displaying first and second images to a viewer is provided. A reflective polarizer is disposed between the second display and the viewer and is oriented obliquely relative to the first display. An optical stack including a partial reflector and a retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the second display. The reflective polarizer reflects at least 70% of the incident light having a first polarization state and transmits at least 60% of the incident light having an orthogonal second polarization state. The partial reflector reflects at least 70% of the incident light for each of the polarization states. For each of the first and second polarization states and for each of a blue-green wavelength and a green-red wavelength the reflective polarizer transmits at east 70% of the incident light and the partial reflector transmits at least 60% of the incident light.

Abstract: A reflective polarizing imaging lens includes at least one optical film having an active area that is curved in two orthogonal directions. Edges of the optical film are arranged to form seams between segments of the optical film in the active area of the reflective polarizing imaging lens.

Abstract: An optical element includes an optical surface configured to receive light at a predetermined wavelength in a range from about 400 nm to about 1000 nm. The optical surface is defined by a vertical axis and a horizontal axis defining four Cartesian quadrants sequentially numbered in a counter-clockwise direction. A first longitudinal section of the optical surface is centered on the vertical axis and a second longitudinal section of the optical surface is centered on the horizontal axis. The first and second longitudinal section each extend across opposite edges of the optical surface and have a same substantially uniform retardance for substantially normally incident light. The optical element includes four discrete retarder sections. Each retarder section is disposed on a respective Cartesian quadrant of the optical surface and has a retardance difference from the substantially uniform retardance of the optical surface that is greater than zero.

Abstract: Optical systems for displaying an image are described. The optical systems include a first and second optical lenses separated by air. A partial reflector is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the first optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature in a range from 20 mm to 200 mm. A reflective polarizer is disposed on and conforms to a major surface of the first optical lens where the major surface can have a best-fit spherical radius of curvature greater than about 500 mm. A retarder layer is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector. The first optical lens can have an optical birefringence of less than 15 nm/cm and the second optical lens can have an optical birefringence of greater than 15 nm/cm. A method of fabricating an optical assembly is described.

Abstract: A display system including an imager for forming an image, and a projection lens system for projecting the image formed by the imager is described. For each pixel in the plurality of pixels, the imager is configured to emit a cone of light having a central ray having a direction that varies with location of the pixel in the imager. The variation may increase a brightness of an image projected through the projection lens system by at least 30 percent. The display system may include a light guide having a light insertion portion adapted to receive light; a light transport portion disposed to receive light from the light insertion portion; and a light extraction portion disposed to receive light from the light transport portion.

Abstract: An optical system (200) provides wide field of view in a compact system having a low profile. The optical system (200) includes a display (10), a reflective polarizer (60), a minor (100), and a partial reflector (110), to provide a folded optical path between an image source and an eye of a viewer (30).

Abstract: An optical system (200) that allows a viewer (10) to simultaneously see images created by an electronic display (20) as well as real world objects (30b) includes a reflective polarizer (41) as an image combiner for head-mounted displays and an absorptive polarizer (42) deployed in the same combiner to reduce glare by minimizing ambient reflections from the reflective polarizer. To prevent the absorptive polarizer (42) from blocking linearly polarized light sources from being transmitted through the combiner, a weak absorptive polarizer is provided to allow transmission of polarized sources while still minimizing glare.

Abstract: A bi-focal prescription eyewear lens includes a substrate and a reflective polarizer, or a partial reflector, bonded to the substrate. A reflective polarizer substantially transmits light having a first polarization state and substantially reflects light having an orthogonal second polarization state. The bi-focal optical lens has a first focal length for light having the first polarization state and a second focal length for light having the second polarization state. The first focal length is longer than the second focal length. Without the reflective polarizer or partial reflector, the bi-focal optical lens would have a single focal length. Eyeglasses can include the bi-focal prescription eyewear lens.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an optical assembly includes providing a first mold having a first curved mold surface; placing a substantially flat reflective polarizer; on the first curved mold surface and applying at least one of pressure and heat to at least partially conform the reflective polarizer to the first curved mold surface; providing a second mold comprising a second mold surface, the first and second mold surfaces defining a mold cavity therebetween; substantially filling the mold cavity with a flowable material having a temperature greater than a glass transition temperature of the reflective polarizer; and solidifying the flowable material to form a solid optical element bonded to the reflective polarizer. A maximum variation of an orientation of a pass polarization state across the bonded reflective polarizer is within about 3 degrees of a maximum variation of the orientation of the pass polarization state across the substantially flat reflective polarizer.

Abstract: A display system including an imager for forming an image, and a projection lens system for projecting the image formed by the imager is described. For each pixel in the plurality of pixels, the imager is configured to emit a cone of light having a central ray having a direction that varies with location of the pixel in the imager. The variation may increase a brightness of an image projected through the projection lens system by at least 30 percent. The display system may include a light guide having a light insertion portion adapted to receive light; a light transport portion disposed to receive light from the light insertion portion; and a light extraction portion disposed to receive light from the light transport portion.

Abstract: Optical systems including a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a retarder disposed between the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer are described. The reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes and includes at least one layer that is substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. The optical system is adapted to provide an adjustable focus.

Abstract: An optical lens including first and second polarizers, a partial reflector disposed between the first and second polarizers, a first phase retarder disposed between the first polarizer and the partial reflector, and a second phase retarder disposed between the partial reflector and the second polarizer is described. The optical lens is a single piece configured for use in an eyewear. Eyewear including at least one of the optical lenses is also described.