Abstract: A first lens includes an optically transparent member having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface and the second surface of the optically transparent member are aspheric, a curve formed by an intersection of the first surface of the optically transparent member and a cross-sectional plane has at least four inflection points, and the cross-sectional plane is parallel to an optical axis of the first lens. (i) A plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the first lens intersects the second surface of the first lens four times or (ii) an inner portion of the second surface is curved toward the first surface, and an outer portion of the second surface is curved away from the first surface. The inner portion of the second surface is surrounded by the outer portion of the second surface.

Abstract: An optical system includes a display, at least one lens, and at least one of a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer. The optical system forms a virtual image of an image emitted by the display for viewing by an eye. The emitted image includes a plurality of cones of image light. Each cone of image light propagates from a different corresponding location on the emitted image and includes a central light ray propagating along a central axis, such that in each of orthogonal first and second planes that include the central axis, an intensity distribution of the cone of image light as a function of angle relative to the central axis includes a substantially flat peak having a full width of at least 15 degrees across which the peak changes by less than about 20%, and a corresponding fullwidth at half maximum that is less than about 60 degrees.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a first lens. The first lens can include an optically transparent member having a first surface and a second surface. The optically transparent member can be configured to receive light from a display device via the first surface. The received light exits the optically transparent member through the second surface. The first surface and the second surface of the optically transparent member can be aspheric. An in inner surface of the first surface is convex, and an outer surface of the first surface is concave. The inner surface is surrounded by the outer surface of the first surface. A thickness of a central region of the first lens can decrease from a center of the first lens, and a thickness of a peripheral region of the first lens can increase from a boundary of the central region.

Abstract: Optical films, such as reflective polarizer films, and optical systems including the optical films are described. An optical system includes one or more optical lenses having at least one curved major surface, a partial reflector, and a reflective polarizer. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range extending at least from about 450 nm to about 600 nm: the partial reflector has an average optical reflectance of at least 30%, and the reflective polarizer has an average optical reflectance Rs for a first polarization state, an average optical 10 transmittance Tp for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical reflectance Rp for the second polarization state, where Tp?80%, Rp?1%, and 50%?Rs?95%.

Abstract: An optical system includes a polarization controller, a beam splitter, a reflective polarizer, and one or more lenses between the beam splitter and the reflective polarizer. The polarization controller is configured to control polarization states of light beams incident onto the polarization controller. Each light beam passing through the polarization controller has a first or a second polarization state. The beam splitter is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light beams incident onto the beam splitter. The reflective polarizer is configured to pass the light beams having a third polarization state and reflect the light beams having a fourth polarization state orthogonal to the third polarization state. A first light beam having the first polarization state passes through the one or more lenses N1 times. A second light beam having the second polarization state passes through the one or more lenses N2 times. N2 is larger than N1.

Abstract: Optical films and polarizing beam splitters including the optical films are described. In some cases, the optical film includes a first optical stack disposed on, and spaced apart by one or more spacer layers from, a second optical stack, each optical stack comprising a plurality of polymeric interference layers reflecting and transmitting light primarily by optical interference in a same predetermined wavelength range. Each optical stack has interference layers closer to the one or more spacer layers that reflect longer wavelengths and interference layers farther from the one or more spacer layers that reflect shorter wavelengths.

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: Optical films, such as reflective polarizer films, and optical systems including the optical films are described. An optical system includes one or more optical lenses having at least one curved major surface, a partial reflector, and a reflective polarizer. For a substantially normally incident light in a predetermined wavelength range extending at least from about 450 nm to about 600 nm: the partial reflector has an average optical reflectance of at least 30%, and the reflective polarizer has an average optical reflectance Rs for a first polarization state, an average optical transmittance Tp for an orthogonal second polarization state, and an average optical reflectance Rp for the second polarization state, where Tp?80%, Rp?1%, and 50%?Rs?95%.

Abstract: An optical film and a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) including the optical film is described. The optical film includes first and second optical stacks separated by a spacer. For each optical stack, the optical stack includes a plurality of alternating polymeric first and second layers numbering between 50 and 300 in total where each first and second layer has an average thickness less than about 400 nm. For normally incident light, the optical film has an average optical absorption of greater than about 1%. When the optical film is disposed between first and second hypotenuses of first and second prisms to form a PBS and a cone of light is incident on the PBS making an incident angle of about 40 to 50 degrees with the optical film, the PBS generates substantially no light streak propagating along and between the first and second hypotenuses.

Abstract: Optical films and polarizing beam splitters including the optical films are described. In some cases, the optical film includes a first optical stack disposed on, and spaced apart by one or more spacer layers from, a second optical stack, each optical stack comprising a plurality of polymeric interference layers reflecting and transmitting light primarily by optical interference in a same predetermined wavelength range. Each optical stack has interference layers closer to the one or more spacer layers that reflect longer wavelengths and interference layers farther from the one or more spacer layers that reflect shorter wavelengths.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an optical system. The optical system includes a polarization controller that controls polarization states of light beams such that a polarization state of each light beam passing through the polarization controller has one of a first polarization state and a second polarization state. The optical system includes a beam splitter, a reflective polarizer, and one or more lenses between the beam splitter and the reflective polarizer. If a polarization state of a first light beam of the light beams that passes through the polarization controller has the first polarization state, the first light beam passes the one or more lenses only one time. If a polarization state of a second light beam of the light beams that passes through the polarization controller has the second polarization state, the second light beam passes the one or more lenses more than one time.

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: An optical film includes a polarizer including an absorbing polarizer layer: an olefin layer disposed on the polarizer; and a bonding layer disposed between, and bonding together, the olefin layer and the polarizer. For substantially normally incident light, for orthogonal first and second polarization states, and for at least one wavelength in a wavelength range of about 420 nm to about 680 nm, the polarizer substantially transmits the incident light having the first, but not the second, polarization state. The bonding, olefin and absorbing polarizer layers are coextruded and co-stretched with one another. The olefin layer can have an unstructured major surface opposite the polarizer. An optical lens includes a lens substrate and the optical film disposed on, and substantially conforming to, a major surface of the lens substrate with the olefin layer facing the lens substrate.

Abstract: A display includes a plurality of blue, green, and red light emitting elements having respective blue, green, and red emission spectra including respective blue, green, and red emission peaks at respective blue, green, and red peak wavelengths with respective blue, green, and red full width at half maxima (FWHMs). The display includes a display panel and an optically collimating film. For a substantially collimated incident light and for each of mutually orthogonal polarization states, an optical transmittance of the optically collimating film includes substantially distinct blue, green, and red transmission bands having respective blue, green, and red FWHMs that overlap at least 30% of the respective blue, green, and red FWHMs at a first incident angle of less than about 10 degrees and overlap less than 15% of the respective blue, green, and red FWHMs at a second incident angle of greater than about 30 degrees.

Abstract: A display includes a plurality of blue, green, and red light emitting elements having respective blue, green, and red emission spectra including respective blue, green, and red emission peaks at respective blue, green, and red peak wavelengths with respective blue, green, and red full width at half maxima (FWHMs). The display includes a display panel and an optically collimating film. For a substantially collimated incident light and for each of mutually orthogonal polarization states, an optical transmittance of the optically collimating film includes substantially distinct blue, green, and red transmission bands having respective blue, green, and red FWHMs that overlap at least 30% of the respective blue, green, and red FWHMs at a first incident angle of less than about 10 degrees and overlap less than 15% of the respective blue, green, and red FWHMs at a second incident angle of greater than about 30 degrees.

Abstract: An optical film and a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) including the optical film is described. The optical film includes a first optical stack disposed on, and spaced apart by one or more spacer layers from, a second optical stack. When the optical film is disposed between, and adhered to, hypotenuses of first and second prisms to form a PBS and a cone of light is incident on the PBS making an incident angle of about 40 to 50 degrees with the optical film, the PBS has: an average optical reflectance Rs greater than about 95% for a first polarization state; an average optical transmittance Ts less than about 0.012% for the first polarization state; an average optical transmittance Tp less than about 98.5% for a second polarization state; and an average optical reflectance Rp less than about 0.25% for the second polarization state.

Abstract: An optical lens assembly for a near-eye display device includes a light box and a diffractive optical element (DOE). The light box has a first layer facing a display screen of the near-eye display device and a second layer facing the DOE. The light box is configured to receive a first light from a display screen of the near-eye display device and transmit at least a portion of the first light to the DOE through a folded optical path, where the first layer and the second layer are flat. The DOE aligned with an optical axis of an eye and is configured to receive a second light from the light box and converge the second light to the eye.

Abstract: An optical system including one or more optical lenses, at least one retarder layer, a reflective polarizer, and a partial reflector is provided. The at least one retarder layer may include first and second retarder layers having different wavelength dispersion curves. The at least one retarder layer may include a first retarder layer having a non-uniform fast axis orientation and/or a non-uniform retardance.

Abstract: An optical assembly including a first optical substrate including a first major surface; a multilayer polymeric optical film disposed on the first major surface of the first optical substrate and including a plurality of polymeric layers numbering greater than about 50 in total; and a first optical bonding layer having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 microns and disposed between, and making physical contact to, the first major surface of the first optical substrate and the multilayer polymeric optical film, the first optical bonding layer bonding the first optical substrate to the multilayer polymeric optical film and including a silanated amine.

Abstract: An optical lens assembly includes a middle-lens disposed between, and bonded to, an eye-lens and a display-lens, each of the lenses including an active lens region defined as a maximum lens region configured to transmit an image emitted by a display therethrough. A first at least partially light transmitting film is disposed on, and substantially conforming to, a curved first major surface of the eye-lens. A second at least partially light transmitting film is disposed between, and substantially conforming to each of, a curved second major surface of the eye-lens and a curved first major surface of the middle-lens. A first retarder layer is disposed between, and substantially conforming to each of, a second major surface of the middle-lens and a first major surface of the display-lens; and a third at least partially light transmitting film is disposed on, and substantially conforming to, a curved second major surface of display-lens.