Abstract: Disclosed is an improved diffraction structure for 3D display systems. The improved diffraction structure includes an intermediate layer that resides between a waveguide substrate and a top grating surface. The top grating surface comprises a first material that corresponds to a first refractive index value, the underlayer comprises a second material that corresponds to a second refractive index value, and the substrate comprises a third material that corresponds to a third refractive index value. According to additional embodiments, improved approaches are provided to implement deposition of imprint materials onto a substrate, which allow for very precise distribution and deposition of different imprint patterns onto any number of substrate surfaces.

Abstract: A display system is configured to direct a plurality of parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images into a viewer's eye. The parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images provide different parallax views of a virtual object, and impinge on the pupil from different angles. In the aggregate, the wavefronts of light forming the images approximate a continuous divergent wavefront and provide selectable accommodation cues for the user, depending on the amount of parallax disparity between the intra-pupil images. The amount of parallax disparity may be selected using an array of shutters that selectively regulate the entry of image light into an eye. Each opened shutter in the array provides a different intra-pupil image, and the locations of the open shutters provide the desired amount of parallax disparity between the images. In some other embodiments, the images may be formed by an emissive micro-display.

Abstract: An example head-mounted display device includes a light projector, an optical assembly arranged to direct light from a light projector to a user, and an actuator module. The optical assembly includes a variable focus lens assembly including a rigid refractive component, a shaper ring defining an aperture, and a flexible lens membrane between the shaper ring and the rigid refractive component and covering the aperture. The refractive component, the shaper ring, and the lens membrane are arranged along an axis. The refractive component and the lens membrane define a chamber containing a volume of fluid. The actuator module is configured to adjust an optical power of the variable focus lens by moving the shaper ring relative to the refractive component along the axis, such that a curvature of the lens membrane in the aperture is modified.

Abstract: A display device based on micro light emitting diodes (microLEDs) includes a plurality of chiplets. Each chiplet includes one or more raxels, each raxel including a plurality of microLEDs supported on a substrate. The chiplet also includes a micro integrated circuit (microIC) electronically connected with the one or more raxels. MicroIC includes a plurality of interconnects supported on a backplane such that, when connected with the raxel, microIC may be used to electrically drive each one of the MicroLED of the raxel. In an embodiment, a plurality of chiplets are disposed on a display substrate to for an auto-view horizontal parallax only 3D display.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved diffraction structure for 3D display systems. The improved diffraction structure includes an intermediate layer that resides between a waveguide substrate and a top grating surface. The top grating surface comprises a first material that corresponds to a first refractive index value, the underlayer comprises a second material that corresponds to a second refractive index value, and the substrate comprises a third material that corresponds to a third refractive index value. According to additional embodiments, improved approaches are provided to implement deposition of imprint materials onto a substrate, which allow for very precise distribution and deposition of different imprint patterns onto any number of substrate surfaces.

Abstract: Metasurfaces provide compact optical elements in head-mounted display systems to, e.g., incouple light into or outcouple light out of a waveguide. The metasurfaces may be formed by a plurality of repeating unit cells, each unit cell comprising two sets or more of nanobeams elongated in crossing directions: one or more first nanobeams elongated in a first direction and a plurality of second nanobeams elongated in a second direction. As seen in a top-down view, the first direction may be along a y-axis, and the second direction may be along an x-axis. The unit cells may have a periodicity in the range of 10 nm to 1 ?m, including 10 nm to 500 nm or 300 nm to 500 nm. Advantageously, the metasurfaces provide diffraction of light with high diffraction angles and high diffraction efficiencies over a broad range of incident angles and for incident light with circular polarization.

Abstract: A stereo viewing system includes a projector and an eyepiece. The projector includes a first microdisplay and emits first and second spatially-modulated light associated with a first image and second image, respectively. The eyepiece includes an eyepiece substrate, a first and second input coupling element, and a first and second output coupling element. The first input coupling element receives the first spatially-modulated light from the projector and incouples the first spatially-modulated light into the eyepiece substrate. The first output coupling element projects at least a portion of the incoupled spatially-modulated light out of the eyepiece substrate from a user-side surface of the eyepiece substrate. The second input coupling element incouples the second spatially-modulated light, received from the projector, into the eyepiece substrate. The second output coupling element projects at least a portion of the incoupled spatially-modulated light out of the eyepiece substrate from the user-side surface.

Abstract: An augmented reality display system is configured to direct a plurality of parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images into a viewer's eye. The parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images provide different parallax views of a virtual object, and impinge on the pupil from different angles. In the aggregate, the wavefronts of light forming the images approximate a continuous divergent wavefront and provide selectable accommodation cues for the user, depending on the amount of parallax disparity between the intra-pupil images. The amount of parallax disparity is selected using a light source that outputs light for different images from different locations, with spatial differences in the locations of the light output providing differences in the paths that the light takes to the eye, which in turn provide different amounts of parallax disparity.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an augmented reality system includes at least one waveguide that is configured to receive and redirect light toward a user, and is further configured to allow ambient light from an environment of the user to pass therethrough toward the user. The augmented reality system also includes a first adaptive lens assembly positioned between the at least one waveguide and the environment, a second adaptive lens assembly positioned between the at least one waveguide and the user, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the first and second adaptive lens assemblies. Each lens assembly of the augmented reality system is selectively switchable between at least two different states in which the respective lens assembly is configured to impart at least two different optical powers to light passing therethrough, respectively.

Abstract: In an example method of forming a waveguide film, a photocurable material is dispensed into a space between a first mold portion and a second mold portion opposite the first mold portion. Further, a relative separation between a surface of the first mold portion with respect to a surface of the second mold portion opposing the surface of the first mold portion is adjusted. The photocurable material in the space is irradiated with radiation suitable for photocuring the photocurable material to form a cured waveguide film. Concurrent to irradiating the photocurable material, the relative separation between the surface of the first mold portion and the surface of the second mold portion is varied and/or an intensity of the radiation irradiating the photocurable material is varied.

Abstract: An example system for molding a photocurable material into a planar object includes a first mold structure having a first mold surface, a second mold structure having a second mold surface, and one or more protrusions disposed along at least one of the first mold surface or the second mold surface. During operation, the system is configured to position the first and second mold structures such that the first and second mold surfaces face each other with the one or more protrusions contacting the opposite mold surface, and a volume having a total thickness variation (TTV) of 500 nm or less is defined between the first and second mold surfaces. The system is further configured to receive the photocurable material in the volume, and direct radiation at the one or more wavelengths into the volume.

Abstract: Waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 and methods of patterning waveguides are disclosed. Patterned waveguides comprising materials with refractive index greater than or equal to 1.8 can be incorporated in display devices, such as, for example wearable display devices to project virtual images to a viewer.

Abstract: A display system is configured to direct a plurality of parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images into a viewer's eye. The parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images provide different parallax views of a virtual object, and impinge on the pupil from different angles. In the aggregate, the wavefronts of light forming the images approximate a continuous divergent wavefront and provide selectable accommodation cues for the user, depending on the amount of parallax disparity between the intra-pupil images. The amount of parallax disparity may be selected using an array of shutters that selectively regulate the entry of image light into an eye. Each opened shutter in the array provides a different intra-pupil image, and the locations of the open shutters provide the desired amount of parallax disparity between the images. In some other embodiments, the images may be formed by an emissive micro-display.

Abstract: An eyepiece for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece can include a waveguide substrate. The waveguide substrate can include an input coupler grating (ICG), an orthogonal pupil expander (OPE) grating, a spreader grating, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) grating. The ICG can couple at least one input light beam into at least a first guided light beam that propagates inside the waveguide substrate. The OPE grating can divide the first guided light beam into a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart light beams. The spreader grating can receive the light beams from the OPE grating and spread their distribution. The spreader grating can include diffractive features oriented at approximately 90° to diffractive features of the OPE grating. The EPE grating can re-direct the light beams from the first OPE grating and the first spreader grating such that they exit the waveguide substrate.

Abstract: Examples of eye-imaging apparatus using diffractive optical elements are provided. For example, an optical device comprises a substrate having a proximal surface and a distal surface, a first coupling optical element disposed on one of the proximal and distal surfaces of the substrate, and a second coupling optical element disposed on one of the proximal and distal surfaces of the substrate and offset from the first coupling optical element. The first coupling optical element can be configured to deflect light at an angle to totally internally reflect (TIR) the light between the proximal and distal surfaces and toward the second coupling optical element, and the second coupling optical element can be configured to deflect at an angle out of the substrate. The eye-imaging apparatus can be used in a head-mounted display such as an augmented or virtual reality display.

Abstract: A wearable display system includes one or more emissive micro-displays, e.g., micro-LED displays. The micro-displays may be monochrome micro-displays or full-color micro-displays. The micro-displays may include arrays of light emitters. Light collimators may be utilized to narrow the angular emission profile of light emitted by the light emitters. Where a plurality of emissive micro-displays is utilized, the micro-displays may be positioned at different sides of an optical combiner, e.g., an X-cube prism which receives light rays from different micro-displays and outputs the light rays from the same face of the cube. The optical combiner directs the light to projection optics, which outputs the light to an eyepiece that relays the light to a user's eye. The eyepiece may output the light to the user's eye with different amounts of wavefront divergence, to place virtual content on different depth planes.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an augmented reality system includes at least one waveguide that is configured to receive and redirect light toward a user, and is further configured to allow ambient light from an environment of the user to pass therethrough toward the user. The augmented reality system also includes a first adaptive lens assembly positioned between the at least one waveguide and the environment, a second adaptive lens assembly positioned between the at least one waveguide and the user, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the first and second adaptive lens assemblies. Each lens assembly of the augmented reality system is selectively switchable between at least two different states in which the respective lens assembly is configured to impart at least two different optical powers to light passing therethrough, respectively.

Abstract: Metasurfaces provide compact optical elements in head-mounted display systems to, e.g., incouple light into or outcouple light out of a waveguide. The metasurfaces may be formed by a plurality of repeating unit cells, each unit cell comprising two sets or more of nanobeams elongated in crossing directions: one or more first nanobeams elongated in a first direction and a plurality of second nanobeams elongated in a second direction. As seen in a top-down view, the first direction may be along a y-axis, and the second direction may be along an x-axis. The unit cells may have a periodicity in the range of 10 nm to 1 ?m, including 10 nm to 500 nm or 300 nm to 500 nm. Advantageously, the metasurfaces provide diffraction of light with high diffraction angles and high diffraction efficiencies over a broad range of incident angles and for incident light with circular polarization.

Abstract: A head mounted display system can include a camera, at least one waveguide, at least one coupling optical element that is configured such that light is coupled into said waveguide and guided therein, and at least one out-coupling element. The at least one out-coupling element can be configured to couple light that is guided within said waveguide out of said waveguide and direct said light to said camera. The at least one coupling element may comprise a diffractive optical element having optical power.

Abstract: An augmented reality display system is configured to direct a plurality of parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images into a viewer's eye. The parallactically-disparate intra-pupil images provide different parallax views of a virtual object, and impinge on the pupil from different angles. In the aggregate, the wavefronts of light forming the images approximate a continuous divergent wavefront and provide selectable accommodation cues for the user, depending on the amount of parallax disparity between the intra-pupil images. The amount of parallax disparity is selected using a light source that outputs light for different images from different locations, with spatial differences in the locations of the light output providing differences in the paths that the light takes to the eye, which in turn provide different amounts of parallax disparity.