Abstract: An eyepiece includes a planar waveguide having a front surface and a back surface. The eyepiece also includes a grating coupled to the back surface of the planar waveguide and configured to diffract a first portion of the light propagating in the planar waveguide out of a plane of the planar waveguide toward a first direction and to diffract a second portion of the light propagating in the planar waveguide out of the plane of the planar waveguide toward a second direction opposite to the first direction and a wavelength-selective reflector coupled to the front surface of the planar waveguide. The wavelength-selective reflector comprises a multilevel metasurface comprising a plurality of spaced apart protrusions having a pitch and formed of a first optically transmissive material and a second optically transmissive material disposed between the spaced apart protrusions.

Abstract: An example a head-mounted display device includes a light projector and an eyepiece. The eyepiece is arranged to receive light from the light projector and direct the light to a user during use of the wearable display system. The eyepiece includes a waveguide having an edge positioned to receive light from the display light source module and couple the light into the waveguide. The waveguide includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The waveguide includes several different regions, each having different grating structures configured to diffract light according to different sets of grating vectors.

Abstract: An eyepiece for projecting an image to an eye of a viewer includes a waveguide configured to propagate light in a first wavelength range, and a grating coupled to a back surface of the waveguide. The grating is configured to diffract a first portion of the light propagating in the waveguide out of a plane of the waveguide toward a first direction, and to diffract a second portion of the light propagating in the waveguide out of the plane of the waveguide toward a second direction opposite to the first direction. The eyepiece furthers include a wavelength-selective reflector coupled to a front surface of the waveguide. The wavelength selective reflector is configured to reflect light in the first wavelength range and transmit light outside the first wavelength range, such that the wavelength-selective reflector reflects at least part of the second portion of the light back toward the first direction.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with metasurfaces as in-coupling and/or out-coupling optical elements. The metasurfaces may be formed on a surface of the waveguide and may include a plurality or an array of sub-wavelength-scale (e.g., nanometer-scale) protrusions. Individual protrusions may include horizontal and/or vertical layers of different materials which may have different refractive indices, allowing for enhanced manipulation of light redirecting properties of the metasurface. Some configurations and combinations of materials may advantageously allow for broadband metasurfaces. Manufacturing methods described herein provide for vertical and/or horizontal layers of different materials in a desired configuration or profile.

Abstract: A beamsplitter can include a first surface with a diffractive optical element, a second surface normal to the first surface, and a beam splitting surface arranged at an angle to the second surface that is less than 45 degrees. The beamsplitter may be configured to illuminate the entire second surface in response to an input beam at the first surface.

Abstract: An example a head-mounted display device includes a light projector and an eyepiece. The eyepiece is arranged to receive light from the light projector and direct the light to a user during use of the wearable display system. The eyepiece includes a waveguide having an edge positioned to receive light from the display light source module and couple the light into the waveguide. The waveguide includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The waveguide includes several different regions, each having different grating structures configured to diffract light according to different sets of grating vectors.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a diffusing element configured to couple portions of a light beam back into a laser diode. The system includes a diode laser driven into a chaotic regime by a combination of a diffuser and a modulated drive current such that it emits light across a frequency spectrum having an envelope between 3 and 10 nanometers wide. The system further includes a diffusing element at least 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm away from the diode laser to couple portions of the light beam back into the laser diode. Another embodiment is directed to using the diffusing element to illuminate a flat panel display or a spatial light modulator.

Abstract: Examples of light projector systems and methods of use. A method can include providing an optical device having a first surface, a second surface normal to the first surface, and a third surface arranged at an angle to the second surface. The third surface can be reflective to light of a first state and transmissive to light of a second state. An input beam having the first state can be normally incident on the first surface. A transmissive diffractive optical element on the first surface can convert the input beam into at least a first diffracted beam directed toward the third surface, where it is reflected by the third surface in a direction substantially parallel to the first surface. The reflected first diffracted beam can be modulated with image information using a spatial light modulator to produce a modulated light beam having the second state.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a diffusing element configured to couple portions of a light beam back into a laser diode. The system includes a diode laser driven into a chaotic regime by a combination of a diffuser and a modulated drive current such that it emits light across a frequency spectrum having an envelope between 3 and 10 nanometers wide. The system further includes a diffusing element at least 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm away from the diode laser to couple portions of the light beam back into the laser diode. Another embodiment is directed to using the diffusing element to illuminate a flat panel display or a spatial light modulator.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the use of variable-pitch light-emitting devices for display applications, including for displays in augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality environments. In particular, it relates to small (e.g., micron-size) light emitting devices (e.g., micro-LEDs) of variable pitch to provide the advantages, e.g., of compactness, manufacturability, color rendition, as well as computational and power savings. Systems and methods for emitting multiple lights by multiple panels where a pitch of one panel is different than pitch(es) of other panels are disclosed. Each panel may comprise a respective array of light emitters. The multiple lights may be combined by a combiner.

Abstract: An optical system comprises an optically transmissive substrate comprising a metasurface which comprises a grating comprising a plurality of unit cells. Each unit cell comprises a laterally-elongated first nanobeam having a first width; and a laterally-elongated second nanobeam spaced apart from the first nanobeam by a gap, the second nanobeam having a second width larger than the first width. A pitch of the unit cells is 10 nm to 1 ?m. The heights of the first and the second nanobeams are: 10 nm to 450 nm where a refractive index of the substrate is more than 3.3; and 10 nm to 1 ?m where the refractive index is 3.3 or less.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to the use of variable-pitch light-emitting devices for display applications, including for displays in augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality environments. In particular, it relates to small (e.g., micron-size) light emitting devices (e.g., micro-LEDs) of variable pitch to provide the advantages, e.g., of compactness, manufacturability, color rendition, as well as computational and power savings. Systems and methods for emitting multiple lights by multiple panels where a pitch of one panel is different than pitch(es) of other panels are disclosed. Each panel may comprise a respective array of light emitters. The multiple lights may be combined by a combiner.

Abstract: An example head-mounted display device includes a plurality of optical elements in optical communication. The optical elements are configured to project an image in a field of view of a user wearing the head-mounted display device. A first optical element is configured to receive light from a second optical element. The first optical element defines a grating at along a periphery of the first optical element. The grating includes a plurality of protrusions extending from a base portion of the first optical element. The protrusions include a first material having a first optical dispersion profile for visible wavelengths of light. The grating also includes a second material disposed between at least some of the plurality of protrusions along the base portion of the first optical element. The second material has a second optical dispersion profile for visible wavelengths of light.

Abstract: An optical system comprises an optically transmissive substrate comprising a metasurface which comprises a grating comprising a plurality of unit cells. Each unit cell comprises a laterally-elongated first nanobeam having a first width; and a laterally-elongated second nanobeam spaced apart from the first nanobeam by a gap, the second nanobeam having a second width larger than the first width. A pitch of the unit cells is 10 nm to 1 ?m. The heights of the first and the second nanobeams are: 10 nm to 450 nm where a refractive index of the substrate is more than 3.3; and 10 nm to 1 ?m where the refractive index is 3.3 or less.

Abstract: A head worn imaging system includes a light source configured to generate a light beam. The system also includes a light guiding optical element having a thickness between 0.1 and 1.5 mm and configured to propagate at least a portion of the light beam by total internal reflection. The system further includes an entry portion and an exit portion of the light guiding optical element configured to selectively allow light addressing the exit portion to exit the light guiding optical element based on the angle of incidence of the light, the radius of curvature of the light and/or the wavelength of the light.

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 display system comprises a waveguide having light incoupling or light outcoupling optical elements formed of a metasurface. The metasurface is a multilevel (e.g., bi-level) structure having a first level defined by spaced apart protrusions formed of a first optically transmissive material and a second optically transmissive material between the protrusions. The metasurface also includes a second level formed by the second optically transmissive material. The protrusions on the first level may be patterned by nanoimprinting the first optically transmissive material, and the second optically transmissive material may be deposited over and between the patterned protrusions. The widths of the protrusions and the spacing between the protrusions may be selected to diffract light, and a pitch of the protrusions may be 10-600 nm.

Abstract: An example head-mounted display device includes a plurality of optical elements in optical communication. The optical elements are configured to project an image in a field of view of a user wearing the head-mounted display device. A first optical element is configured to receive light from a second optical element. The first optical element defines a grating at along a periphery of the first optical element. The grating includes a plurality of protrusions extending from a base portion of the first optical element. The protrusions include a first material having a first optical dispersion profile for visible wavelengths of light. The grating also includes a second material disposed between at least some of the plurality of protrusions along the base portion of the first optical element. The second material has a second optical dispersion profile for visible wavelengths of light.

Abstract: A display system includes a waveguide assembly having a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide associated with an in-coupling optical element configured to in-couple light into the associated waveguide. A projector outputs light from one or more spatially-separated pupils, and at least one of the pupils outputs light of two different ranges of wavelengths. The in-coupling optical elements for two or more waveguides are inline, e.g. vertically aligned, with each other so that the in-coupling optical elements are in the path of light of the two different ranges of wavelengths. The in-coupling optical element of a first waveguide selectively in-couples light of one range of wavelengths into the waveguide, while the in-coupling optical element of a second waveguide selectively in-couples light of another range of wavelengths. Absorptive color filters are provided forward of an in-coupling optical element to limit the propagation of undesired wavelengths of light to that in-coupling optical element.

Abstract: A head worn imaging system includes a light source configured to generate a light beam. The system also includes a light guiding optical element having a thickness between 0.1 and 1.5 mm and configured to propagate at least a portion of the light beam by total internal reflection. The system further includes an entry portion and an exit portion of the light guiding optical element configured to selectively allow light addressing the exit portion to exit the light guiding optical element based on the angle of incidence of the light, the radius of curvature of the light and/or the wavelength of the light.