Abstract: An optical assembly includes at least one substrate that provides a first curved surface and a second surface. The optical assembly also includes a beam splitter on the first curved surface, a reflector on the second surface, and an optical retarder disposed between the beam splitter and the reflector. The optical assembly is configured to transmit the first light through the optical assembly at a first optical power. The optical assembly is also configured to transmit second light through peripheral portions of the optical assembly at a second optical power that is less than the first optical power. The first light includes light having a first polarization and wavelengths within a predetermined wavelength range. The second light includes light having wavelengths within the predetermined wavelength range and a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, as well as light having wavelengths outside the predetermined wavelength range.

Abstract: A display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged across a display area of a display device, and a black matrix configured to block a portion of light outputted by each pixel of the plurality of pixels. The black matrix is configured to allow light from the second pixel having a first output intensity distribution having a peak intensity corresponding to a first direction to pass through, and to allow light from the first pixel having a second output intensity distribution having a peak intensity corresponding to a second direction to pass through.

Abstract: A device includes a light source configured to generate an image light. The device also includes a lens assembly coupled with the light source. The lens assembly includes a mirror configured to transmit a first portion of the image light and reflect a second portion of the image light. The lens assembly also includes a reflective polarizer including a birefringent medium with a chirality and configured to substantially reflect the first portion of the image light output from the mirror as a polarized light having a predetermined handedness toward the mirror. The lens assembly further includes a lens disposed between the mirror and the reflective polarizer and configured to provide an optical power to the image light.

Abstract: A display assembly includes a light source, a spatial light modulator (SLM) and a grating. The light source is configured to emit illumination light, the SLM is configured to receive the illumination light and reflect at least a portion of the illumination light. The grating is positioned to redirect the illumination light output from the light source toward the SLM, receive at least a portion of the reflected light from the SLM, redirect first light having a first polarization toward the light source, and transmit through the grating second light having a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization. Also disclosed are operations performed by the display assembly.

Abstract: An illuminator for a display panel includes a light source for providing a light beam and a lightguide coupled to the light source for receiving and propagating the light beam along the substrate. The lightguide includes an array of out-coupling gratings that runs parallel to the array of pixels for out-coupling portions of the light beam from the lightguide such that the out-coupled light beam portions propagate through the substrate and produce an array of optical power density peaks at the array of pixels due to Talbot effect. A period of the array of peaks is an integer multiple of a pitch of the array of pixels.

Abstract: A display device includes a directional illuminator providing a light beam, a display panel downstream of a directional illuminator, for receiving and spatially modulating the light beam, and a beam redirecting module downstream of the display panel, for variably redirecting the spatially modulated light beam. Steering the illuminating light by the beam redirecting module enables one to steer the exit pupil of the display device to match the user's eye location(s).

Abstract: A directional illuminator includes a light source, a pupil-replicating lightguide, and a tiltable reflector coupling the light source to the pupil-replicating lightguide. The exit beam angle of the light outputted by the pupil-replicating lightguide follows the in-coupling angle, and accordingly depends on the tilting angle of the tiltable reflector. The directional illuminator with steered light beam may be used to illuminate a display panel. Steering the illuminating light by the tiltable reflector enables one to steer the exit pupil of the display device to match the user's eye location(s).

Abstract: A waveguide illuminator for illuminating a display panel includes an input waveguide, a waveguide splitter coupled to the input waveguide, and a waveguide array coupled to the waveguide splitter. The waveguide array includes an array of out-couplers out-coupling portions of the split light beam to form an array of out-coupled beam portions for illuminating a display panel. The out-coupled beam portions undergo optical interference and form a Talbot pattern of illumination correlated with pixel array of the display panel, enabling an optical throughput increase by centering individual Talbot peaks on the display panel pixels.

Abstract: A waveguide illuminator for illuminating a display panel includes an input waveguide, a waveguide splitter coupled to the input waveguide, and a waveguide array coupled to the waveguide splitter. The waveguide array includes an array of out-couplers out-coupling portions of the split light beam to form an array of out-coupled beam portions for illuminating a display panel. The out-coupled beam portions undergo optical interference and form a Talbot pattern of illumination correlated with pixel array of the display panel, enabling an optical throughput increase by centering individual Talbot peaks on the display panel pixels.

Abstract: A display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged across a display area of a display device, and a black matrix configured to block a portion of light outputted by each pixel of the plurality of pixels. The black matrix is configured to allow light from the second pixel having a first output intensity distribution having a peak intensity corresponding to a first direction to pass through, and to allow light from the first pixel having a second output intensity distribution having a peak intensity corresponding to a second direction to pass through.

Abstract: A device includes a display configured to generate an image light. The device also includes a waveguide optically coupled with the display and configured to guide the image light to an exit pupil of the device. The waveguide includes a grating including a birefringent material, and a birefringence of the grating is configured to increase along a pupil-expanding direction of the device.

Abstract: A folded-path optical component usable as an ocular lens in a near-eye display is disclosed. The folded-path optical component includes a cavity formed by a pair of spaced apart coaxial curved reflective polarizers, and a partial reflector in the cavity for splitting an impinging light beam to propagate along two optical paths ending at an exit pupil of the optical component. Each optical path includes a reflection from one of the reflective polarizers and a transmission through the other one of the reflective polarizers.

Abstract: A polarization modulator includes a first liquid crystal cell and a second liquid crystal cell. The first liquid crystal cell has a first type of liquid crystals configured to rotate an optical axis of light parallel to a first plane of the first liquid crystal cell. The second liquid crystal cell is configured to receive the light from the first liquid crystal cell. The second liquid crystal cell has a second type of liquid crystals configured to rotate the optical axis of the light perpendicular to a second plane of the second liquid crystal cell.

Abstract: An example optical assembly includes a display, a light source for illuminating the display, and a first diffraction type polarizing beam splitter (DT-PBS) configured to direct light from a first light director, wherein the first DT-PBS is polarization sensitive and configured to direct, based on polarization, a first portion of light towards the display.

Abstract: Ghost image formation due to reflections of image light by a display panel to an ocular lens may be suppressed by ensuring that the image light reflected by the lens does not get reflected by the display panel back towards the lens. To that end, the display panel may include a quarter-wave birefringent layer between the top polarizer of the display panel and a layer inside the display panel that the image light reflects from, such as a black grid layer or an active matrix layer.

Abstract: An example optical assembly includes a display, a light source for illuminating the display, and a first diffraction type polarizing beam splitter (DT-PBS) configured to direct light from a first light director, wherein the first DT-PBS is polarization sensitive and configured to direct, based on polarization, a first portion of light towards the display.

Abstract: A display device includes a waveguide, an array of tunable retarders in contact with the waveguide, and a polarization selective optical element. A respective tunable retarder of the array of tunable retarders receives light from the waveguide. The respective tunable retarder has a first state, which causes the respective tunable retarder to direct light having a first polarization in a first direction and a second state, which causes the respective tunable retarder to direct light having a second polarization that is distinct from the second polarization in the first direction. The polarization selective optical element is located adjacent to the array of tunable retarders so that the light having the second polarization propagates from the polarization selective optical element in a second direction and the light having the second polarization propagates from the polarization selective optical element in a third direction distinct from the second direction.

Abstract: An optical device includes a display configured to generate an image light; and a waveguide optically coupled with the display and configured to guide the image light to an exit pupil of the optical device. The waveguide includes an in-coupling element configured to couple the image light into the waveguide, and an out-coupling element configured to decouple the image light out of the waveguide. The out-coupling element includes a grating having a diffraction efficiency gradient along a predetermined direction at a plane of the grating.

Abstract: An optical display system includes an information display (image-generating) component, a polarization rotator, a polarization dependent optical element, an input holographic coupler, a light guide and an output holographic coupler. By controlling the polarization of the displayed light through the polarization rotator, the polarization dependent optical element changes the viewable content to different distances from the viewer. This enables the generation of a proper light field which will then be coupled into the light guide through the input holographic coupler, and finally go through the output holographic coupler to a user's eye.

Abstract: A device includes a light source configured to output a light. The device also includes a display panel including a plurality of subpixel areas. The device also includes a microlens assembly disposed between the light source and the display panel. The microlens assembly includes a first microlens array configured to substantially collimate the light into a first polarized light, and a second microlens array configured to focus the first polarized light as a second polarized light propagating through apertures of the subpixel areas.