Abstract: A waveguide for a display system includes a waveguide body extending from an input end to an output end and configured to guide light by total internal reflection from the input end to the output end, a first array of partial reflectors disposed within a first strata of the waveguide body, and a second array of partial reflectors disposed within a second strata of the waveguide body overlying the first strata.

Abstract: An illuminator for illuminating a display panel includes a lightguide with an array of buried slanted bulk reflectors that out-couple portions of the light beam propagating in the lightguide through one of the lightguide surfaces. Polarization beam-splitting slanted surfaces may be used to provide polarized output. Such an illuminator may be used with a reflective display panel operating by polarization. The beam-splitting slanted surfaces operate as a polarizer, providing polarized illuminating light. The light reflected by the reflective panel may propagate back through the illuminator, and the polarization beam-splitting slanted surfaces may operate also as analyzer.

Abstract: The disclosed method may include providing, by a folding mirror region of a waveguide, two or more paths for light rays from an input mirror of the waveguide to an eye box of the waveguide. The method may also include supporting, by an output mirror of the waveguide, a field of view of at least sixty degrees by at least fifty degrees. The waveguide may correspond to a two-dimensional geometrical waveguide and the folding mirror region may fit entirely within a lens shape of the waveguide. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A system is provided. The system includes a light source configured to emit a infrared (“IR”) light for illuminating an object. The system also includes a waveguide imaging assembly including a waveguide, an in-coupling element disposed at a first portion of the waveguide, an out-coupling element disposed at a second portion of the waveguide, and an optical sensor disposed facing the out-coupling element. The in-coupling element is configured to couple the IR light reflected by the object into the waveguide, the waveguide is configured to guide the IR light to propagate toward the out-coupling element through total internal reflection, and the out-coupling element is configured to couple the IR light out of the waveguide toward the optical sensor. The optical sensor is configured to generate a tracking signal of the object based on the IR light output from the waveguide.

Abstract: A waveguide is provided. The waveguide includes a substrate having two outer surfaces for propagating a beam of light in the substrate by reflecting the beam from the two outer surfaces. The waveguide includes at least one polarization volume hologram (PVH) grating to couple light in and/or out of the waveguide. The PVH grating may be a multi-layer PVH grating with graded birefringence.

Abstract: A light field display is composed of a light source assembly (LSA), a collimating lens, an incoupling section, a spatial light modulator (SLM), and gratings. The LSA includes point light sources that emit light at different time periods. The collimating lens collimates light from the point light sources. The incoupling section incouples the collimated light to a waveguide. The SLM spatially modulates the collimated light. The gratings outcouple spatially modulated light from the waveguide, and for any given point light source of the point light sources, the given point light source has a respective corresponding grating of the gratings that outcouples from the waveguide light that originated from the given point light source. The spatially modulated light output in each time period forms a respective virtual emitter in an eyebox, and over the different time periods the virtual emitters in aggregate form at least one virtual object.

Abstract: Techniques disclosed herein relate to waveguide-based near-eye display systems and techniques for analyzing the waveguide-based near-eye display systems using three-dimensional (3-D) k-vectors (wave vectors) in 3-D k-sphere. In one example, a geometrical waveguide display may include a substrate and a first plurality of transflective mirrors in the substrate, the first plurality of transflective mirrors characterized by a tilt angle of n×180°/N with respect to a surface of the substrate, where N is an odd number and n is an integer smaller than N.

Abstract: A lightguide with partially reflective slanted polarization-selective bulk mirrors is disclosed. The lightguide may be used in a near-eye display with a polarized image source. The polarization-selective bulk mirrors reflect light of the polarized image source, and fully transmit light of the orthogonal polarization, causing the mirrors to be less conspicuous to an external viewer while preserving high efficiency of delivery of the image light to the viewer.

Abstract: A waveguide display includes a first waveguide assembly and a second waveguide assembly. The first waveguide assembly includes a first waveguide extending in a first direction, a first input coupler configured to couple display light into the first waveguide such that the display light is reflected through total internal reflection by three or more surfaces of the first waveguide that are parallel to the first direction to propagate within the first waveguide in the first direction, and a first output coupler configured to couple the display light out of the first waveguide at a first plurality of locations along the first direction. The second waveguide assembly is configured to deflect, at a second plurality of locations along a second direction different from the first direction, the display light from the first waveguide towards an eyebox of the waveguide display.

Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) for improved field of view (FOV) is provided. The head-mounted display (HMD) may include a display element to provide display light. The head-mounted display (HMD) may also include a lens element to provide display light to a user of the head-mounted display (HMD). The head-mounted display (HMD) may further include an optical element comprising at least one waveguide to provide improved central or peripheral field of view (FOV) for the user of head-mounted display (HMD). In some examples, the waveguide may be part of central optics and/or peripheral optics. The waveguide may have a planar waveguide profile or a curved waveguide profile. In some examples, the waveguide may be stacked or may include a graded index (GRIN) layer.

Abstract: A waveguide may include a substrate and an array of beam splitters embedded within the substrate, where each beam splitter within the array of beam splitters does not fully transect the substrate. Various other devices, systems, and methods of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: A waveguide for conveying image light in a display device is disclosed. The waveguide comprises a waveguide body, an input coupler configured to couple the image light into the waveguide body for propagating the image light within the waveguide body along a zigzag light path, and a plurality of slanted bulk mirrors disposed along the zigzag light path within the waveguide body and having a tunable reflectivity parameter for controlling a spatial distribution of image light portions out-coupled from the waveguide body by the plurality of slanted bulk mirrors. The waveguide may include a plurality of slanted polarization-selective bulk mirrors, and a liquid crystal layer configured to alter the polarization of the image light, the liquid crystal layer being disposed between a backplane electrode and a pixelated electrode configured to control the liquid crystal layer by application of a spatially-varying voltage profile.

Abstract: A device is provided. The device includes a light guide coupled with an in-coupling element at an input portion of the light guide and an out-coupling element at an output portion of the light guide. The device also includes a volume grating disposed at a portion of the light guide and configured to diffract a light via Bragg diffraction. The volume grating is configured with at least one of a predetermined spectral Bragg selectivity variation or a predetermined angular Bragg selectivity variation along one or more dimensions in a film plane of the volume grating.

Abstract: A device includes an array of light emitters configured to generate multiple light beams to form an image, the image having a field of view and a planar waveguide having an edge configured to receive multiple light beams from the array of light emitters, each light beam associated with a portion of the field of view. The device also includes a lens array comprising multiple lenses linearly extended to overlap an edge portion of the planar waveguide, the lenses optically coupling the light beams into the planar waveguide, and one or more output couplers in the planar waveguide configured to direct the light beams into an eyebox, wherein the eyebox forms an area that includes a pupil of a viewer of the image.

Abstract: A head-mounted lightfield display including a lightfield rendering unit, a numerical aperture (NA) expander for receiving an optical output from the lightfield rendering unit and for creating an expanded lightfield, and a substrate-guided optical combiner optically coupled to the NA expander for receiving the expanded lightfield and transmitting the expanded light field to an eyebox for viewing by a user.

Abstract: A waveguide is provided. The waveguide includes a substrate having two outer surfaces for propagating a beam of light in the substrate by reflecting the beam from the two outer surfaces. The waveguide includes at least one polarization volume hologram (PVH) grating to couple light in and/or out of the waveguide. The PVH grating may be a multi-layer PVH grating with graded birefringence.

Abstract: An illuminator for illuminating a display panel includes a lightguide with an array of buried slanted bulk reflectors that out-couple portions of the light beam propagating in the lightguide through one of the lightguide surfaces. Polarization beam-splitting slanted surfaces may be used to provide polarized output. Such an illuminator may be used with a reflective display panel operating by polarization. The beam-splitting slanted surfaces operate as a polarizer, providing polarized illuminating light. The light reflected by the reflective panel may propagate back through the illuminator, and the polarization beam-splitting slanted surfaces may operate also as analyzer.

Abstract: A device includes an array of light emitters configured to generate multiple light beams to form an image, the image having a field of view and a planar waveguide having an edge configured to receive multiple light beams from the array of light emitters, each light beam associated with a portion of the field of view. The device also includes a lens array comprising multiple lenses linearly extended to overlap an edge portion of the planar waveguide, the lenses optically coupling the light beams into the planar waveguide, and one or more output couplers in the planar waveguide configured to direct the light beams into an eyebox, wherein the eyebox forms an area that includes a pupil of a viewer of the image.

Abstract: A display device includes a relay waveguide and a scanner. The scanner is configured to angularly scan image light for coupling into the waveguide, and includes a scanning reflector and a second reflector disposed between the scanning reflector and an input coupler of the waveguide. The scanning reflector has an aperture for the image light to propagate therethrough toward the second reflector. The second reflector is configured to reflect at least a portion of the image light received through the aperture back toward the scanning reflector and to transmit at least a portion of the image light reflected from the scanning reflector toward the input coupler. The arrangement enables a compact design of the display.

Abstract: A head-mounted display (HMD) for improved field of view (FOV) is provided. The head-mounted display (HMD) may include a display element to provide display light. The head-mounted display (HMD) may also include a lens element to provide display light to a user of the head-mounted display (HMD). The head-mounted display (HMD) may further include an optical element comprising at least one waveguide to provide improved central or peripheral field of view (FOV) for the user of head-mounted display (HMD). In some examples, the waveguide may be part of central optics and/or peripheral optics. The waveguide may have a planar waveguide profile or a curved waveguide profile. In some examples, the waveguide may be stacked or may include a graded index (GRIN) layer.