Abstract: Disclosed herein is a holographic mixture including nanoparticles used to form gratings through holographic exposure. In various embodiments, exposure of the holographic mixture causes the nanoparticles to diffuse to dark fringe regions which creates nanoparticle rich regions and nanoparticle poor regions. Some embodiments include a multi-layer grating which includes a layer formed through the exposed holographic mixture and another layer directly applied above the exposed holographic mixture. The other layer may also be exposed through a holographic recording beam.

Abstract: Many embodiments in accordance with the invention are directed towards waveguides implementing birefringence control. In some embodiments, the waveguide includes a birefringent grating layer and a birefringence control layer. In further embodiments, the birefringence control layer is compact and efficient. Such structures can be utilized for various applications, including but not limited to: compensating for polarization related losses in holographic waveguides; providing three-dimensional LC director alignment in waveguides based on Bragg gratings; and spatially varying angular/spectral bandwidth for homogenizing the output from a waveguide. In some embodiments, a polarization-maintaining, wide-angle, and high-reflection waveguide cladding with polarization compensation is implemented for grating birefringence. In several embodiments, a thin polarization control layer is implemented for providing either quarter wave or half wave retardation.

Abstract: A waveguide display is provided comprising: an input image generator providing image light projected over a field of view; a waveguide having first and second external surfaces; and at least one grating optically coupled to the waveguide for extracting light towards a viewer. The waveguide has a lateral refractive index variation between said external surfaces that prevents any ray propagated within the waveguide from optically interacting with at least one of the external surfaces.

Abstract: An image generation device includes: a spatial light modulator; a source of light; a beam deflector; an illumination waveguide and an image transport waveguide, each waveguide containing at least one switchable grating; and a coupler for directing scanned light into a first set of TIR paths in said illumination waveguide. A switchable grating in the illumination waveguide diffracts light onto said SLM, a switchable grating in said image transport waveguide diffracting image-modulated from the SLM into a waveguide path.

Abstract: A light projection apparatus is provided comprising: a source of light; a switchable grating on a first substrate; and a diffractive optical element. Light is diffracted at least once by the switchable grating and is diffracted at least once by the DOE.

Abstract: There is provided an illumination device comprising: a laser; a waveguide comprising at least first and second transparent lamina; a first grating device for coupling light from the laser into a TIR path in the waveguide; a second grating device for coupling light from the TIR path out of the waveguide; and a third grating device for applying a variation of at least one of beam deflection, phase retardation or polarization rotation across the wavefronts of the TIR light. The first second and third grating devices are each sandwiched by transparent lamina.

Abstract: An optical waveguide comprises at least two TIR surface and contains a grating. Input TIR light with a first angular range along a first propagation direction undergoes at least two diffractions at the grating. Each diffraction directs light into a unique TIR angular range along a second propagation direction.

Abstract: Holographic volume gratings in waveguide cells can be recorded using many different methods and systems in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. One embodiment includes a holographic recording system including at least one laser source configured to emit recording beams and a movable platform configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein when the movable platform is in the first position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a first set of one or more recording beams toward a first set of one or more stations and when the movable platform is in the second position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a second set of one or more recording beams toward a second set of one or more stations.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing holographic waveguide display using integrated gratings in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes a waveguide display including a source of light, and a first waveguide including a grating structure including first and second gratings, and an input coupler configured to couple a first field-of-view portion of light, and couple a second field-of-view portion of light, wherein the first grating is configured to provide beam expansion in a first direction for the first field-of-view portion of light, and provide beam expansion in the first direction and beam extraction towards a viewer for the second field-of-view portion of light, the second grating is configured to provide beam expansion in a second direction for the second field-of-view portion of light, and provide beam expansion in the second direction and beam extraction towards a viewer for the first field-of-view portion of light.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for eye-glow suppression in waveguide systems is disclosed herein. Some embodiments of the methods and the apparatus include a waveguide based display including a waveguide including an in-coupling optical element and an out-coupling optical element, where the in-coupling optical element is configured to in-couple image containing light and the out-coupling optical element is configured to out-couple the image counting light towards a user, where the waveguide comprises an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the outer surface, and wherein the inner surface is closer to the user than the outer surface; and a partially light blocking layer above the outer surface of the waveguide opposite to the user, where the partially light blocking layer is configured to keep eye glow light from entering the environment outside the outer surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is methods and apparatus for recording a holographic waveguide utilizing an inverted holographic master technique. In some embodiments, an apparatus for recording a holographic waveguide is provided. The apparatus may include a source of light configured to provide a recording beam; a master substrate with a non-grating modulated surface and a grating modulated surface, wherein the grating modulated surface is opposite to the non-grating modulated surface and is configured to diffract the recording beam; a bottom substrate with opposing light transmitting surfaces coated with anti-reflection coatings overlaying the grating modulated surface of the substrate and separated from the master substrate by a gap; and an exposure cell containing holographic recording material directly facing the non-grating modulated surface of the master substrate. Advantageously, the inverted holographic master technique mitigates the effects of unwanted reflected exposure light.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multiplying the resolution and field-of-view of pixelated displays in accordance with various embodiments of the invention are illustrated. One embodiment includes an apparatus having an image projector for directing light from a pixelated image source into unique angular directions, an image processor electrically connected to the image projector for computing native images of the image source corresponding to first and second field-of-view portions and for computing shifted images in a predefined direction corresponding to the first and second field-of-view portions for sequential display by the image projector, a first set of gratings having a native configuration for propagating the light of the native image and at least one shifted configuration for propagating the light of at least one shifted image, and a second set of gratings having a first configuration for projecting the first field-of-view portion and a second configuration for projecting the second field-of-view portion.

Abstract: Various embodiments of waveguide devices are described. A debanding optic may be incorporated into waveguide devices, which may help supply uniform output illumination. Accordingly, various waveguide devices are able to output a substantially flat illumination profile eliminating or mitigating banding effects.

Abstract: An eye tracker having a first waveguide for propagating illumination light along a first waveguide path and propagating image light reflected from at least one surface of an eye along a second waveguide path. At least one grating lamina for deflecting the illumination light out of the first waveguide path towards the eye and deflecting the image light into the second waveguide path towards a detector is disposed adjacent an optical surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for displaying an image comprising: a first optical substrate comprising at least one waveguide layer configured to propagate light in a first direction, wherein the at least one waveguide layer of the first optical substrate comprises at least one grating lamina configured to extract the light from the first substrate along the first direction; and a second optical substrate comprising at least one waveguide layer configured to propagate the light in a second direction, wherein the at least one waveguide layer of the second optical substrate comprises at least one grating lamina configured to extract light from the second substrate along the second direction; wherein the at least one grating lamina of at least one of the first and second optical substrates comprises an SBG in a passive mode.

Abstract: Improvements to gratings for use in waveguides and methods of producing them are described herein. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs and Bragg gratings, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. In one embodiment, deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated Bragg gratings (EBGs). EBGs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) grating. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured grating provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Abstract: A waveguide apparatus, comprises: disposed in at least one layer: an input coupler; a first fold grating; a second fold grating; an output coupler; and a source of light optically coupled to the waveguide providing at least first and second polarizations of the light and at least one wavelength. The input coupler is configured to cause the first polarization light to travel along a first total internal reflection (TIR) path and the second polarization light to travel along a second TIR path.

Abstract: Various embodiments of this disclosure relate to a piecewise varying rolled K-vector grating structure including: a first grating section containing a grating with a first K-vector, a second grating section containing a grating with a second K-vector; and a first boundary region positioned between the first grating section and the second grating section. The first boundary region is a multiplexed grating region including both the first K-vector and the second K-vector. Further disclosed is a method for recording such a grating structure utilizing a holographic recording process. Providing a multiplexed grating in the first boundary region may largely remove line exposure artifacts between adjacent sections of the P-RKV grating.

Abstract: Improvements to gratings for use in waveguides and methods of producing them are described herein. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs and Bragg gratings, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. In one embodiment, deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated Bragg gratings (EBGs). EBGs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) grating. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured grating provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Abstract: An optical display, including a first waveguide having a first set of surfaces, an input grating, a fold grating, and an output grating; an image input image node assembly; and a prismatic relay optics is provided. The prismatic relay optics may be configured to be optomechanically connected to the waveguide and the input image node assembly. The optical display is may also be configured to operate alone or as integrated with a headpiece to be used as a HUD. The HUD may have a first and a second configuration wherein the waveguide is decoupled or coupled.