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

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

Abstract: A device includes a waveguide. The device also includes a plurality of grating sets coupled with the waveguide and configured to, during a plurality of time periods, couple a plurality of input image lights into and out of the waveguide as a plurality of output image lights. In a first grating set of the plurality of grating sets, a first vector sum of in-plane projections of grating vectors associated with all gratings included in the first grating set is a first non-null vector. In a second grating set of the plurality of grating sets, a second vector sum of in-plane projections of grating vectors associated with all gratings included in the second grating set is a second non-null vector. The first vector sum and the second vector sum have different directions.

Abstract: A system includes one or more waveguides, and a plurality of grating sets coupled with the one or more waveguides. A plurality of combinations of gratings from the grating sets are configurable to direct an image light to propagate through a plurality of sub-eyeboxes forming an uncompressed eyebox. The system also includes a controller configured to selectively configure one or more combinations of gratings to operate in a diffraction state to direct the image light to propagate through one or more sub-eyeboxes forming a compressed eyebox having a size smaller than a size of the uncompressed eyebox.

Abstract: An optical film includes a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals and organic solid crystal structures at least partially surrounding the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals. A method of making the optical film includes obtaining a substrate with an alignment layer and a film of a first solution on the alignment layer. The first solution includes liquid crystals and organic crystal molecules. The liquid crystals form a plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals on the alignment layer. The method also includes forming organic solid crystal structures by crystallizing the organic crystal molecules. The organic solid crystal structures at least partially surround the plurality of helically arranged liquid crystals.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth liquid crystal (LC) patterning control systems in which LCs are aligned using locally applied magnetic fields. The index of refraction experienced by light propagating through an anisotropic LC is dependent on orientation. As a result, a phase difference may be imparted to an optical beam that is passed through, or reflected from, an array of LCs whose orientations are controlled via locally applied magnetic fields. In some embodiments, the locally applied magnetic fields may be generated by driving currents through wires that intersect at micro or nanomagnetic particles or at magnetic domains, or by applying voltages to micro or nanocoils wrapped around high-permeability cores, among other things.

Abstract: A film stack includes a plurality of first films and a plurality of second films alternately stacked. At least one second film of the plurality of second films includes a solid crystal including crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined alignment direction. At least one first film of the plurality of first films includes an alignment structure configured to at least partially align the crystal molecules of the solid crystal in the predetermined alignment direction.

Abstract: An optical element is provided. The optical element includes a solid crystal including crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined alignment pattern at least partially defined by an alignment structure.

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

Abstract: A device includes a waveguide, an in-coupling element, and an out-coupling element coupled with the waveguide. The waveguide, the in-coupling element, and the out-coupling element are configured to deliver a plurality of portions of an image light to an eye-box of the device. At least one of the in-coupling element or the out-coupling element includes a polarization selective diffractive element. The polarization selective diffractive element includes a grating including a plurality of microstructures defining a plurality of grooves filled with a passive optically anisotropic material having a first effective refractive index along a groove direction of the grooves and a second effective refractive index along an in-plane direction perpendicular to the groove direction. One of the first effective refractive index or the second effective refractive index substantially matches with a refractive index of the microstructures.

Abstract: A device is provided. The device includes a first lens assembly controllable to switch between a first plurality of optical powers. The first lens assembly includes a plurality of directly optically coupled lenses, and is configured to converge or diverge a light transmitted therethrough. The device also includes a second lens assembly coupled with the first lens assembly, and controllable to switch between a second plurality of optical powers that are opposite to the first plurality of optical powers.

Abstract: A system is provided. The system includes a waveguide configured to guide an image light to propagate inside the waveguide. The system also includes a plurality of diffractive components coupled to the waveguide and switchable between operating in a diffraction state to direct the image light from the waveguide to an eye-box of the system, and operating in a non-diffraction state to transmit a light from a real-world environment to the eye-box. The system further includes a controller coupled with the plurality of diffractive components and configured to switch each of the plurality of diffractive components between operating in the diffraction state during a virtual-world subframe of a display frame and operating in the non-diffraction state during a real-world subframe of the display frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of creation of three-dimensional alignment patterns that includes providing a layer of optically recordable and polarization sensitive material having a thickness that is greater than, or equal to, a predefined thickness, and concurrently illuminating the optically recordable medium with two coherent beam of same or different polarization with predetermined angle between the beams such that the said beams impinge from the same side or from the opposite sides upon the layer of the recordable material. The invention further relates to polarization volume holograms based on the said alignment patterns and polarization holographic element including a single layer or a stack of several layers of optically recordable materials containing single or multiple polarization volume holograms.

Abstract: A device includes a waveguide. The device also includes a plurality of grating sets coupled with the waveguide and configured to, during a plurality of time periods, couple a plurality of input image lights into and out of the waveguide as a plurality of output image lights. In a first grating set of the plurality of grating sets, a first vector sum of in-plane projections of grating vectors associated with all gratings included in the first grating set is a first non-null vector. In a second grating set of the plurality of grating sets, a second vector sum of in-plane projections of grating vectors associated with all gratings included in the second grating set is a second non-null vector. The first vector sum and the second vector sum have different directions.

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: 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: 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 device includes a waveguide. The device also includes a plurality of grating sets coupled with the waveguide and configured to, during a plurality of time periods, couple a plurality of input image lights into the waveguide and couple the input image lights out of the waveguide as a plurality of output image lights. The plurality of input image lights have a substantially same input field of view (“FOV”) with a substantially same symmetry axis. A combined output FOV of the output image lights is larger than the input FOV.

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 device having suppressed rainbow effect is provided. The optical device includes a light source configured to generate an image light, an optical combiner coupled with the light source and configured to direct the image light to an eye-box of the optical device, and a dimming element disposed at the optical combiner. The optical combiner includes at least one diffractive element. The optical combiner has a first side facing the eye-box and an opposing second side facing a real world, and the dimming element is disposed at the second side of the optical combiner. The dimming element is configured to receive a light from the real world and significantly attenuate an intensity of the light having an incidence angle in a predetermined range.